Oliver & Company
by tfdias
Summary: AU. Olivia is the owner of a dance studio located in the Bronx and works with her best friend Abby. One night out on the town, they meet Fitz and Jake, newcomers to Manhattan from Miami at a restaurant, and friendships (and possibly more) ensue between the four. Lots of musical references and some humor here and there! Rated M for language and material.
1. The Encounter

"Okay ladies, we're done for the day!", Olivia called out, grabbing a hand towel from the back of her chair to wipe the sweat away from her face, before reaching for her bedazzled water bottle. "I'll see you all Monday evening!"

"Olivia, what about The Box? You can't forget about The Box!", Abby called out.

"You're right, how could I forget about The Box? Abbz, do me a favor and grab it for me. Ladies, take a seat", she said, turning her chair around and sitting in front of her class. She grabbed The Box from Abby, placing it on her lap as she waited for Abby to take her own seat. Once she had everyone's attention, she shook The Box, the sound of the contents inside tapping along the sides lightly as they spun around. She reached inside, grabbing a strip of paper, unfolding it before the group.

"Twerk?!", she looked up, reading the sheet to the group. "Who picked twerking?", a smile spread across her face as a lone hand in the back of the room raised up for her attention. "Quinn, twerking? I'm surprised", she giggled. "You know the rules, explanation?"

Quinn stood to her feet, cradling her arms nervously as she looked at all of the faces staring at her. "Well, Miley Cyrus does it, I just thought we could-"

"Oh no baby, Miley Cyrus does NOT twerk. She shakes what little back she has and holds her tongue out like she's tryna catch a snowflake!", interrupted Nichelle, causing the group to start laughing. "Now, if you REALLY wanna learn how to twerk, then we can take a nice little trip to-"

"Okay Nichelle, we get the picture", Olivia said, trying to get control of her group. "Quinn, Miley Cyrus is not a good example of twerking hun. But, I think that this was a pretty good pick. So, for the month of October, we'll focus on the proper techniques of twerking. Anyone disagrees?", she looked at the group, waiting for some form of disapproval. "Well then, that's that. See you all next week! Abby and Quinn, can I get some help with the chairs please?"

* * *

"You sure you don't wanna join us for dinner Quinn?", she asked her, double checking that all the doors were locked.

"I'd love to, but I can't. I have to study for a test next week. But you guys enjoy!"

"Thanks Quinn, and good luck to you on your test. I know you'll do well", she flashed a smile at her. "Abby, hurry up!", she called out from where she and Quinn stood outside.

"Sorry, I had to make sure I looked presentable", Abby said as she followed them outside. Olivia rolled her eyes, stepping in to lock the door.

"Tug", she said to them. It was a thing she had about her when locking up; she always had to make each of them tugged on the door handle as hard as they could, guaranteeing that it was locked securely. When she was sure the door was shut, they all walked with Quinn to the direction of her car, the group parting ways as Olivia and Abby walked down to block to their favorite restaurant.

* * *

Fitz sat at a booth enjoying a glass of scotch with his buddy. He and Jake Ballard had been friends for years, meeting up on their first day working for Hypetown. They had been coworkers for nearly six years, becoming friends shortly after they began working together. Now, they were sitting in a restaurant in New York, their new place of location.

Hypetown was expanding, opening branches in New York and California, the main branch being in Miami. Fitz and Jake had done a lot for their company, being two of the very first employees that were hired for the magazine's launch in 2007. Their hard work never went unnoticed; they both quickly escalated to high positions within the company. Both were key players in the communications branch; Jake handling the public relations and Fitz handling the marketing. So when Mr. Wrozynski, Hypetown's CEO, suggested that they both relocate to be the head of communications at the brand new Manhattan branch, they both leaped at the opportunity.

Their flight had gotten in earlier that afternoon and after meeting the realtor for the keys to their new apartments, the duo had decided to do some light unpacking and get in a nap before meeting up for dinner. So when they sat at the table, discussing their plans to enjoy the city before reporting to work on Monday morning, Fitz was puzzled as to why Jake had completely lost focus on their conversation.

"Jake… Jake… are you hearing me?"

"Huh? What'd you say?"

"I was saying maybe we should attempt to… Jake!", he nearly yelled at him, when he noticed he was no longer paying attention to him.

"I'm sorry bro, but check out the red walking in the door", Jake said, nearly breaking his neck as he leaned to look over Fitz's shoulder.

Fitz rolled his eyes, turning his head in the direction Jake was looking at to see what was so special about this girl. When he finally saw the red head, he had to agree with Jake. She was tall and leggy, her long red hair pulled up in a high ponytail at the top of her head. She wore a pair of dark blue jeans, a yellow blouse and brown gladiator sandals. He had to admit, she was hot. But, she was nowhere near as good looking as the girl walking in next to her. She was shorter, much shorter, and she held a little more weight. Her hips filled out a pair of heather grey sweatpants, paired with a black crop sweater and a pair of red low top Converse sneakers. Her hair was jet black and curly, pulled into a messy bun. She was dressed really laid back and compared to her friend, who obviously put much more effort in her appearance, she looked absolutely stunning. He watched as they both found a booth closer to the door, taking a seat as they picked up their menus.

"Look Fitzy, she has a friend with her. How about we try and get into something tonight? Nothing celebrates moving to a new city better than getting some new pu-"

"Jake! Seriously, can you try to not chase a skirt our first night in town?" Jake was definitely a player and he used his position to his power. In Miami, he would pretty much unzip his pants for anything with a pulse. Fitz was surprised that he hadn't fathered any children or gotten any sexually transmitted diseases yet.

"I can try, that doesn't mean it won't happen", Jake flashed a mischievous smile at him.

* * *

"Abbz, this guy is totally checking you out..."

"Nuh uh! Where?", she turned her head, looking around frantically.

"Come on now Abby, you can't be looking all wild and crazy. Try and act a little discreet!", she chuckled with her friend. Abby had always been boy crazy, which lead to her being frequently heartbroken. There were many times where Olivia had to comfort her friend after a breakup. Olivia, on the other hand, was shy and reserved. She didn't focus much on guys; only dating here and there, finding that none of the relationships never got too serious. She was much more focused on her work, and more importantly, herself.

"Where is he Liv? Is he hot?"

"He's over there, blue shirt. Yeah, he's a little cutie. He seems a little too eager", she said, sipping on her glass of water as she waited for the waitress to return with their drinks.

"Oh shit! He is cute!", Abby said, after finally spotting him. "Oh my god, he's waving at me! What should I do?!"

"Wave back dumb ass! You would think you were a child instead of a grown ass woman", she said, watching her friend finally waving back at the guy staring her down.

"Liv! He's coming over! And he has a friend! We're so getting lucky tonight!"

"Now Abby,…", she couldn't even finish her sentence as she looked up and saw the guy approaching with his friend. His amazingly gorgeous friend. He was tall, freshly tanned with brown, curly hair. He wore a grey shirt under a black v-neck sweater and some jeans. "Shit", she thought to herself, as the two walked up to their table.

"Hello ladies! Care if we join you?", Jake asked, flashing his pearly whites clearly in Abby's direction.

"I don't see why not", Abby answered, suddenly fearless, as she scooted over so he could take the empty seat next to her. This left the empty seat next to Olivia for his friend.

As she moved over for him to sit down, she couldn't help but to stare into his eyes. They were beautiful, a shade of blue she had never seen before. She was almost certain that she would drown in them as he stared back into her eyes.

"Hi", he smiled softly, as he took his seat.

"Hi", she responded, after having to mentally remind herself to breath.

* * *

**AN: Okay, so this was a short introduction. I wanted to see if it picked up and good feedback before putting way too much effort in lol. Just clarify, in case you guys might be a bit confused, Olivia owns a dance studio and works with her friends Abby and Quinn. Jake and Fitz are friends that recently moved to Manhattan from Miami to work at a new branch for their company. More back story and details will come later on for each of the characters. I hope you all enjoyed. Comments, reviews, and suggestions are always accepted! Thanks for reading (:**


	2. The Introductions

**AN: Let me just say, I thank you all so much for your support, I truly do. I'm glad you all liked the first chapter and I hope that I'm able to keep you guys' attention. I know this might upset you all, but I've temporarily decided to take a break from Rescue Me. Only because of where I plan to go with the plot, I have to familiarize myself with a lot of information to ensure that everything comes out the way it's supposed to. And since the end of the semester is drawing nearer, I'm finding myself a lot more busier. I honestly can't say for sure when you guys will get an update, but it won't be past December (that's for certain). I didn't wanna leave you guys cold turkey, so I figured this story could fill in for a bit. Sounds good? **

**Oceans00711girl: I was wondering if anyone was gonna catch that lol**

**Again, thank you all so much for your kind support! Hope you all enjoy. btw, it's Scandal Thursday! Can't wait to see how Operation Remington unfolds. Can I just say, I still don't think Maya's dead...maybe she's hiding from Rowan in a cave somewhere? Idk lol**

* * *

"Hello ladies, this is my longtime friend and coworker Fitzgerald Grant, and I'm Jake Ballard, not from State Farm", he said, eliciting a fit of giggles from Abby. "And who might you two beauties be?"

"I'm Abby Whelan and this is my best friend and roommate Olivia Pope", she answered quickly. The both of them seemed to be speaking directly to each other while Fitz and Olivia sat in silence.

"Ahh, Abby and Olivia. Might I offer you two some drinks?"

"No thanks. We've already ordered", Olivia piped up, her voice lined with a bit of attitude.

"What she meant to say...", Abby said, giving Olivia a mean side-eye, "...is that you guys should order drinks for yourself. We can all enjoy the evening together, right Liv?"

"I guess", she said grumpily, taking another sip of her water. The table suddenly fell quiet, an awkward silence spread between the four of them. A few moments later, the waitress came by to give the ladies their drinks, then taking orders from the men.

Abby and Jake seemed to be in their own little world as they engaged in conversation. He would say some corny joke and Abby would respond by laughing. He'd move a little closer to her, finding some way to make skin to skin contact and her cheeks would turn a shade of rosy pink as she blushed at his advances.

Olivia sat in silence, staring at the both of them in disgust. She wasn't hating on Abby and Jake at all, but he just didn't rub her the right way. For the few minutes he had been in her presence, he turned her off. He seemed cocky and the only thing he was interested in was what laid between Abby's legs. She just knew she'd have to be there to pick up the pieces of Abby's heart once Jake had shattered it. She was so tempted to leave the table, but she was blocked in by Fitzgerald. She was taken aback by his looks and strangely, he made her nervous. So, there she sat, fuming inside of her head.

He couldn't believe how beautiful she was. Her face was fresh and makeup free, unlike her friends', and it had it's own radiance to it. She was the definition of a natural beauty; smooth, mocha-toned skin, high cheekbones, huge dark brown doe eyes, and those pouty lips that were practically begging for his attention. It was nearly impossible for him to not peak at her from the corner of his eye; her shoulders hunched and her face stamped with disapproval. He almost laughed out loud; he knew she could see right through Jake, unfortunately her friend couldn't.

"Why are you two so quiet?", Jake asked, softly nudging Fitz's foot under the table.

"Long day", Olivia sighed.

"Might I ask what made your day so long?", he asked, trying to include her in the conversation.

"Work", she answered bluntly.

"What is it that you do?", Fitz jumped in the conversation, seeing that Olivia was very annoyed and he didn't want to cause any trouble at the table. After all, they did impose on the girls' dinner.

"I'm a dancer", she said softly in his direction.

"What, like a stripper?", Jake blurted out, causing Abby to lightly punch him in shoulder as she laughed.

"No silly, we dance. Olivia owns a dance studio in the Bronx. It's not too far from here, only about a twenty minute walk", Abby responded before starting her own private conversation with Jake again. Olivia was grateful that Abby answered for her because she was absolutely sure it wasn't going to come out so sweet.

"You dance? That's...interesting", Fitz said.

"How is that...interesting?", she asked him, the annoyance returning again.

"Not in a bad way. I apologize. I mean, you dance, you own a studio right here. Is it well-known?".

"Not exactly, but we have a good enough turn out. Why? What do you do?"

"Jake and I work for Hypetown Magazine. Not sure if you've ever heard of it, but it's basically a promotional magazine. We're based in Miami and we moved out here for the grand opening of the New York branch".

"Hypetown?!", Olivia nearly shouted out, not only disrupting Abby and Jake, but also the people seated at the tables nearby. "Umm, I mean, Hypetown?", she said, smiling apologetically when she noticed that everyone was looking in her direction. "As in THE Hypetown magazine? The one that features and promotes local underground talent?"

"Yes, THAT Hypetown", Fitz answered her, a bit surprised that she had some knowledge of the magazine afterall.

"Oh my God Liv, isn't that the magazine that we get delivered to the studio? The one that you basically snatch out of anyone's hands unless you've read it first? The one you've just been dying to get the girls in?"

"Well, yeah", she blushed, embarrassed that Abby made her seem like some crazy obsessed fan. "What do you guys do there?"

"Well, Fitzy and I have been working for the magazine ever since its launch. We've held a great relationship with the CEO over the years and when he decided to branch out to New York and Cali, he sent us here to be the co-head of the communications department".

"Ooohhh, communications, that sounds fancy!", Abby said, leaning in closer to Jake. "So, what do you do?"

"I'm the PR guy. Basically, I get paid to make the company look good, which isn't much of a hard job to do with this face of mine", he smiled, causing both Olivia and Fitz to roll their eyes simultaneously. "And Fitzy here...", he continued, "...handles all the marketing".

"Marketing, as in...?", Olivia asked.

"Just the overall promotion for the magazine. I also handle the social media sector".

"Like Twitter?"

"Yeah. You know, posting links to articles, uploading behind-the-scene pics from photoshoots on Instagram, posting video clips on YouTube... the whole nine".

"Wow, that seems so... interesting", she said sarcastically, a hint of a smile on her face as she poked fun at what he had said to her earlier.

"So, can you guys get us in your magazine?"

"Abby...", she quietly scolded her, feeling embarrassed at her friend's inappropriateness.

"What? I mean, it's clearly fate that we met Jake and Fitz here tonight when you're practically obsessed with their magazine. I'm sure they wouldn't have a problem setting up an interview, right?"

"I don't see why not", Jake said, finally finding a potential bait to help reel Abby in. "We are starting to scout out potential talent for our first New York issue. I guess that maybe it was fate that let me see you walking through that door tonight", he spoke directly to Abby. "How about you and I go outside and let these two discuss the details, no?"

"Sure", she said, smiling at him bashfully, moving to get out of the booth, with Jake tailing along behind her. "You two have fun, we'll be outside", she winked at Olivia as they made their way out the door.

"I'm sorry about that. She can be a little pushy. You guys don't have to put me in the magazine, it's no big problem", Olivia said shyly to Fitz once they were both alone.

"No, it's totally fine. It would be nice to feature you, our first local talent in a new area."

"Really?", her eyes lit up as she smiled at him.

"Sure. I mean, not only would I be helping you and your studio get recognition, you would be helping me look good for my boss for finding our cover story for the new issue on our first night in town".

"Cover? You'd put us on the cover?!"

"We can work something out", he smiled at her, her happiness infectious.

"Oh my God! Thanks so much Fitzgerald! I don't know how I'd ever repay you!"

"You're welcome. And please, call me Fitz. You can repay me by being my company while I order something to eat. Have you eaten? I'm starving and I haven't done any grocery shopping since we landed today. Plus, I doubt those two are gonna be coming back tonight. How about we order some food. My treat?"

"That would be nice, Fitz". He got up to move to the other side of the booth so he was able to sit in front of her, and they smiled at each other while looking over their menus.


	3. The Beginning

**AN: Here's your new chapter guys! I'm sorry I'm a bit behind, I had a super busy weekend and this week is looking the same as well. First off, I would like to thank all of you that filled out and submitted my survey. I really appreciate it! I thank you all so much for the support you guys show this story! I'm really glad you all like it. The feedback is amazing. I hope you all enjoy this next chapter (:**

* * *

"So, how do you like Manhattan?"

"It's wild. I love it. And plus, it brought me to you", he winked and she smiled at him. He didn't know if it was the alcohol talking or if it was just the moonlight bouncing of her eyes, but he was entranced by how they twinkled in the night. He leaned into her, nervously, and he couldn't understand why. Jake was never this guy, but something about her was different. She was different.

"You're so cute when you're trying to flirt with me".

"You're so cute, period.", He responded, causing her to blush.

"So, you and Fitz, are like best buds?", she asked, quickly trying to change the subject.

"Yep. You might as well say we were separated at birth. I'm glad that he made this move out here with me".

"Really. So, you guys live together?"

"Same building, same floor, different apartments."

"Different apartments?"

"Yeah", he answered, not really realizing where she was going with her questioning.

"So, how about you show me yours?"

"I don't see why not", he fought his hardest against the huge grin trying to take over his face.

* * *

"So, how are you liking Manhattan so far?"

"Well, I've only been a resident here for barely a few hours. I've visited before. It's nice. It's exciting. A little more fast paced than what I'm used to, but I guess I'll get used to it."

"Yeah, it's pretty busy. But that's New York life for you. They don't call it the city that never sleeps for nothing". _"God, he is just..."_, she thought to herself, her eyes focused on his facial features. _"His hair looks so soft and that one little curl out of place is so cute! His jaw, so defined, so sexy. And those eyes, those fucking eyes"_, she caught herself before she fell under their spell.

"Tell me about yourself Olivia", he said, cutting the chicken breast on the plate in front of him.

"Umm... what do you wanna know?", she asked, picking at her chicken caesar salad.

"Whatever you feel worthy of sharing. If these two...", he said, referring to Abby and Jake, "...end up hitting it off, then we might be seeing much more of each other. Might be nice to get to know one another, in case we end up abandoned again like tonight", the both of them laughed at his statement.

"Well, I'm 25. I'll be 26 in March. No kids, although I'd like to have some one day. I live, breathe, eat, and sleep dancing. I'm kinda a loner. I like cuddling up with a good book or binge watching shows on Netflix. My favorite color is orange... I feel like I'm rambling..."

"No, you're not. Go ahead, I'm listening..." Truthfully, he was. He listened to everyone word that came out of her mouth, the beautiful mouth that spread slightly each time a word escaped. He watched as her nose scrunched up in an effort to find the most fascinating details she felt was worthy enough to be told to a complete stranger.

"I don't know. There isn't much about me. Your turn."

"Well, I'm 28. I like candlelit dinners and long walks on the beach", he said, causing them both to laugh before he continued. "But no, seriously, I guess I'm just a typical old boring guy. I go to work, come home and watch the news, check out new albums and such online, spend a little time in the gym, simple stuff. Occasionally, I get dragged out with Jake".

"I don't see how you two are even friends".

"Why do you say that?"

"I don't know. You guys are like... different. You seem much more mature."

"I am", he laughed.

"Kids?"

"Someday..."

* * *

"Oh my gosh! This place is amazing!", Abby exclaimed as she spun around Jake's living room.

"Thanks. Sorry about all the boxes and messes everywhere. I hadn't had a chance to even begin unpacking yet. Can I get you a drink? I have some sodas, water, and some wine coolers".

"Wine cooler", she said, plopping herself down on the couch. Moments later, he appeared in the living room, carrying a case of Jack Daniels cocktails.

"So Abby, tell me about yourself".

"Well, I'm recently 26. I teach at the studio a few days out of the week. I love dancing, it's so therapeutic. And I love food, all kinds", she said, taking a huge gulp out of her drink. "What about you?"

"I'm 27. I like to talk. I've always been a talker, I can pretty much talk my way in or out of anything. I guess that's why I'm so good at what I do. I love sports, and I guess I love food too".

"Look, I know you wanna try and butter me up with all the small talk and drinks, but I'm not gonna sleep with you tonight. I know, I probably have led you on, but honestly, I just wanna talk and relax. If that's a problem, I can go now".

He was shocked. He really didn't expect those words to come out of her mouth. She was right, he was buttering her up with the drinks and the small talk. Surprisingly, her not wanting to sleep with him didn't bother him. He was interested in her and had enjoyed her company. Truthfully, he didn't want her to leave, whether he was sleeping with her tonight or not.

"No, it's okay. Stay. We can talk and relax", he said, watching the nervous expression on her face falling into a smirk.

* * *

"Fitz, you really don't have to walk me home. It's out of your way, I'll be fine".

"Olivia, you'd be crazy to think I'd let a woman walk these streets alone so late at night, whether she's done it before or not".

"You make it seem like I'm gonna get attacked. These streets are harmless. Are you gonna shoot a web and swing down to save me from the bad guys, Spidey?", she giggled at him.

"Anything for my Mary Jane", he blurted out before realizing what he said. "I mean..."

"It's okay. Thank you for being so sweet", she smiled at him.

"No problem".

The both of them continued walking in silence. A comfortable silence. Fitz took in the elements of the city; the street lights, the groups of people walking by laughing and talking, the beeps of taxi horns driving by. He was beginning to see what was so special about New York. His attention shifted when he heard a short series of sneezes coming from the beautiful woman standing next to him.

"Bless you"

"Thank...", she paused to sneeze again, "...you". She sounded a little sniffly and he was worried she was going to get sick from being exposed to the cold air. He stopped and pulled off his sweater, handing it over to her, his eyes telling her to take it. "Thank you again", she smiled warmly, taking his sweater and putting it on.

It was bigger but it made her feel warm and cozy. And it smelled like his cologne. _"God, he smells so good"_. She studied his muscular build, which she was now able to see much better with one less layer of fabric obscuring her view. _"Why is he so perfect?"_, she asked herself before she felt his large hand taking her small one as they crossed the street.

* * *

"Seriously! I have no idea how I survived college! I never went to class. I lived in the bars, even before I was 21. It was some crazy crazy times. Don't ever send your kids to Miami for college", Jake laughed.

"I'll make a mental note of it", she laughed as well. She finished her second wine cooler, leaning in for another, the same time Jake was reaching for one as well, their hands lightly brushing against each other, causing them to stop laughing and stare at each other. Jake made the first move, leaning in until his lips were right above hers, the both of them shutting their eyes as their mouths came into contact.

It was soft and sweet, something neither of them had expected. Jake took his time, savoring the taste of the strawberry wine cooler mixed with her berry flavored lip gloss. He pulled away, the both of them staring at each other.

"I'm... I'm sorry. I know you said you didn't wanna do anything. I respect that. I just couldn't help myself."

"It's okay. I... I liked it", she smiled at him, moving across the couch to be closer to him. He embraced her, the both of them laying together in peacefulness, eventually falling asleep wrapped in each other's arms.

* * *

"So, this is me", she said to him, fumbling around in her purse for her keys before she opened the door. "It was nice meeting you Fitz. Thanks again for dinner and for walking me home".

"The pleasure was all mine Olivia. It was really nice meeting you. Thank you for joining me for dinner."

"You're welcome. Here, here's my card...", she extended her arm out to him, revealing a pink business card, "...if you really want me, the ball's in your court". She realized after the words had already left her mouth that she could have been interpreted in more than one way. "I mean, for the magazine".

He smiled. He knew what she meant but it amused her to seem somewhat flustered. It was obvious that there was some attraction between them, especially on his part. He couldn't lie, he was attracted to her. How could you not be? He encouraged the idea of them having some future together in his head as he took the card from her hand.

"I'll definitely keep in touch", he grinned at her and was pretty sure he saw the chills run down her spine. She smiled in return, turning to close the door when his hand stopped it.

"You forgot something", he said calmly.

"What?", she asked confused. _"Shit, is he gonna kiss me? Should I let him kiss me? Should I kiss him back?"_

"My sweater".

"Oh. OH! I'm sorry, I forgot!", she laughed, accidentally snorting. He laughed at her, clearly she was nervous.

_"God, she's so beautiful. Even when she snorts while laughing"_

_"Oh my gosh! I'm such a dork! Who snorts while laughing? Get it together Olivia!"_

She pulled off the sweater and handed it over to him, their hands rubbing against each other during the exchange. An electrical surge shot through the both of them and they stared at each other for a moment.

"Goodnight Fitz", she said softly.

"Goodnight Liv".


	4. The Plan

Abby quietly pushed the door in its frame, slowly twisting the lock so it wouldn't make the loud click. She began tip-toeing against the wood floor, trying her best not to make a sound. She made it across the den, down the hall, and was about to enter her bedroom when the sound of Olivia clearing her throat startled her.

"Shit Liv, you scared the hell outta me!"

"Serves you right trying to sneak in here like you're sixteen and I'm your strict ass mama!', Olivia laughed, causing Abby to laugh with her.

"You're right. I'm grown!", she threw her head back, the both of them falling to the floor laughing at Abby's antics. Tears fell from both of their eyes and they gasped for air as they tried to hold their composure.

"So, how was last night?", Olivia asked after finally calming down from all of their laughing.

"It was... nice", Abby smiled, reminiscing on the night she shared with Jake.

"Did you guys ha-"

"No!"

"No?", Olivia raised her eyebrow at her friend. She knew Abby wasn't a whore, she just always believed that the best way to get over someone was to get under someone else. Each time Abby came home with a broken heart, she went out to find herself a rebound. It was a never-ending cycle with her and Olivia hoped one day it would change.

"Well, why not? He couldn't get it up or something?"

"Come on Liv! Don't be rude. I just didn't want to have sex, that's all".

"So what kept you out so late last night that you had to try and creep in at 7:30 in the morning?"

"We had a few drinks. We talked, we laughed. And we fell asleep. Nothing happened".

"I believe you", Olivia said, almost with doubt.

"Good. Because I like him. And he asked me to lunch today and I said yes"

"What?! Abby..."

"I know, I know, I promised I'd help out at the studio today but seriously Olivia, it's Sunday. It's our only 'day off' and you still always go in. Take the day off Liv! Have some fun! Go out with Fitz or something! I know you two had to hit if off last night..."

"And what makes you think that?"

"Well, for one, he's gorgeous! And he's definitely your type!"

"And what exactly would my type be?"

"Successful, taller than you, quiet, and... sexy"

"Abby!", she reached in to pinch her shoulder.

"Ouch!", Abby giggled, "You can't tell me you don't think he's sexy Olivia. Don't even lie!"

"Well..."

"Exactly! So spill the beans! What happened last night?"

"After you guys ditched us, we ate dinner and we talked and he walked me home and I gave him my card to contact him about the interview.."

"That's it?!"

"Yes..."

"Olivia, we need to get you laid girl, you're too stiff!"

The both of them sat in the hallway floor, giggling with each other and talking about their plans for the day. Abby had begged Olivia to help her find something to wear on her lunch date with Jake and Olivia agreed only if Abby came down to the studio with her for a few hours. Once they had settled on the times, they ate breakfast and prepared themselves to head to the studio.

* * *

Fitz woke up to a loud banging on his front door. He knew that it was Jake because he always seemed to knock the same aggravating pattern of sound whenever he wanted his presence known. He stepped out of the bed, groaning as he rubbed his eye with the palm of his hand. He opened the door, grumbling when he saw how wide awake Jake was.

"Fitzy boy! Rise and shine!"

"Jake, it's not even eight yet. What is it?"

"Come on! We're in the city that never sleeps!", he said, pushing himself past Fitz as he made his way into the apartment. "Why are you still asleep?!", he walked into the living room, opening the blinds with one swift movement of his hands. The sun shone in through the huge glass wall-to-wall window that showed the most amazing view of Manhattan.

"What the fuck bro!", Fitz yelped out, using his arm to shield out the sunlight. "Why the hell are you so damn cheery?", he asked, instantly realizing that he had already answered the question for himself.

"Jake, tell me you didn't sleep with that poor girl and ditch her. Tell me you didn't make us a new enemy in less than twenty-four hours!"

"Okay. I did not sleep with 'that poor girl' and ditch her, nor did I make her my enemy."

"You didn't sleep with her?"

"I surely did not"

"Oh, okay. I'll see you in a few hours when I wake up forreal because obviously you somehow got into my dreams", he shrugged, turning away to walk back to his bedroom.

"Ha ha HA!", Jake laughed dryly. "Seriously Fitz, I didn't sleep with her. Well, I did technically, but we didn't have sex".

"What, you couldn't get it up or something?"

"No douche bag! We didn't want to. We just talked all night and we fell asleep on the couch. And then she left this morning after we made plans for lunch today."

"You already have plans and you woke me up out of bed for no reason!", Fitz said before punching Jake in the arm.

"Ouch! Chill dude! I wanted to see if the chick from last night was here. I know you boned!"

"Olivia. Her name is Olivia. And no, I didn't 'bone' and no, she's not here. Nothing happened between us. We ate and I walked her home".

"Seriously?"

"Seriously".

"Sheesh Fitz, we gotta get you laid. You're as stiff as the dick you don't even use!"

"Jake, get the hell out!"

"Okay okay okay!", he laughed, "10:00! I'm waking you up at 10 sharp. Do me a favor, while you catch up on some sleep, dream about you gettin in some pu-"

"Goodbye Jacob!", he shouted, slamming the door in Jake's face and walking back down the hallway to his bedroom.

* * *

"Abbz, hit the lights please!", Olivia called out, racing past her as she ran to use the bathroom. Abby sighed, shaking her head at her friend before walking into the back room to turn on the lights.

"Another Sunday in this place. We can't seem to stay away from you, can we O&C?", she spoke out loud, to herself and to the building. She flipped the switches and watched as the whole building lit up. She then walked over to the sound system, turning it on and waiting for the disk changer to load the current CD. Moments later, the sweet sounds of the late singer Aaliyah's voice began traveling through the studio.

**_"Did ya sleep on the wrong side? I'm catchin' a bad vibe. And it's contagious, what's the latest? Speak your heart, don't bite your tongue..."_**, Abby began singing along to the music when she was interrupted by a light rapping on the door. She made her way back to the front when she saw the form of two bodies standing outside.

"Nich! Hey girl!", she said as she opened the door, letting Nichelle in.

"I can't get a hello too?", a male voice asked and Abby rolled her eyes.

"Hello, Mr. Wrong!", she responded sassily.

"Sheesh Abby, you cut me deep", Harrison said before he clutched his hand over his chest, falling to the floor like he had just been shot, causing Abby and Nichelle to laugh.

"Oh grow up Harry!", Nichelle said to him, before turning back to face Abby. "Where's Liv?"

"Yeah, where's Liv? I got some new disks for her", Harrison asked after picking himself off the floor.

"I'm right here", Olivia appeared in the room before Abby could answer them. "Hey Nich, hey Har", she kissed them both on the cheek before Nichelle snatched Abby's hand and walked away. "What you got for me?", she asked Harrison.

"Well, here in my hand, I hold the new Drake album, the new Justin Timberlake album, the twerking mix you asked for, and I know I'm super late, but I finally got you a copy of the Ariana Grande debut. The little teeny boppers had that one flying off the shelves", he said, handing her a stack of cds.

Harrison was one of Olivia's oldest friends. They met when they were in middle school and they used to dance together all the time. He had been one of Olivia's first dancing coaches at the studio, before he landed a touring DJ gig, which snatched him away from the studio, but also provided him enough money to open his own record store. When his store opened, he was replaced by Nichelle. He ran his store and turned it to one of the go-to spots for new album releases and album signings. Although most of his time was spent in the store, his loyalty still lied with Olivia and he let it be known every time he came to visit with free copies of the newest albums.

"Thanks Harr. When can I expect to see you in here dancing again?"

"Whenever you let me take you out", he smiled at her.

Harrison was a shameless flirt and he and Olivia both knew it. Over the years, they both let it be known that they had feelings for each other, but they never acted on it. This never stopped Harrison from asking Olivia out nearly every chance he got. Olivia truly valued their friendship and she didn't want a relationship to have a negative effect on it, but the way he smiled at her made it almost impossible to deny him every time.

"Harrison..."

"Olivia...".

She rolled her eyes and smiled softly.

"I'll come in and dance soon. I know you guys miss me."

"We do. And you've been missing out on our pole class."

"Pole class?!", his eyes widened. "When in the hell did that happen?!"

"It happened when I started teaching the class", butted in Nichelle, after she and Abby returned to the room.

"Nich, they got you up there on the pole? And nobody thought to tell me? Gosh, y'all are heartless!", the three women laughed at Harrison's usual comical antics and began engaging in conversation, when Abby heard her phone ringing. She pulled it out of her purse and a smile spread across her face as she rushed outside for some privacy while she answered the call.

"Hey", a voice came through on the line.

"Hey", she responded.

"So, are we still on for this afternoon?"

"Yeah, sure. But, can we push it back an hour or two? I promised Liv I'd help her out at the studio today".

"Sure. Actually, how about I come there and we can find something nearby when you have a break? Is that okay?"

"Yeah! That's a great idea!"

"Maybe I can bring Fitz? He can get some of the interview stuff done with Olivia?"

"That'll be perfect!"

"Great. I'll be there in an hour or so. Text me the address"

"Okay! I will! See you soon!", she said before hanging up the phone and typing in the address in a new text message, her fingers tapping away at the glass screen at the speed of lightening.

"Livvie, we're gonna get you laid!", she said to herself, laughing before she stuck her phone back in her purse and headed back inside.

* * *

"Fitz! Get up!", Jake called out while be busted in Fitz's apartment.

"I'm already up and I told you that key was only for emergencies!", Fitz called out from the kitchen, where he was loading the things he had just unpacked into the dishwasher to be washed.

"Well this is an emergency. You need to get outta this apartment. Quit the housework and let's go enjoy our new home!"

"Jake...", he began to counter before he was cut off.

"Fitzgerald, I'm not taking no for an answer. You go get ready and I'll finish loading this stuff for you."

Fitz raised his eyebrow, surprised that Jake had offered to do something that didn't involve throwing back shots of scotch or dropping his pants.

"Fine", he said, seizing the opportunity of Jake's help while he rushed to get ready.

"Fitzy, we're gonna get you laid!", Jake chuckled to himself as he leaned over to place a coffee mug on the top rack of the dishwasher.

* * *

**AN: So, here was the new chapter. I'm sorry it took me so long, but I was super busy this week. So, we have both sides of the morning after: Abby creeping back home and being caught by Liv and Jake waking up Fitz and telling him about asking Abby out. We also get an introduction and little backstory of Harrison and Nichelle. I know you all can't wait to see where this story goes and I'm going to try and upload again this weekend!**


	5. The Presentation

"I don't know how you guys do this so easily", Harrison panted as he tried again to jump on the pole. Olivia, Abby, and Nichelle watched him struggle to reach higher and higher, laughing every time he fell to the bottom and had to start over again. "I promise, after this I admire each and every stripper in the world. This shit is no game", he stood on the floor, trying to catch his breath.

"You're doing it all wrong Har!", Nichelle said, holding her stomach which had began cramping from all the laughter.

"Oh yeah? Well let me see you get up there and do it!", he rolled his neck, folding his arms, causing the girls to laugh even harder.

"With pleasure! Come in Liv!", Nichelle called to her, walking over to a pole and wiping it down with disinfectant.

"Hell no!", Olivia responded.

"Come on Olivia, don't act shy! We know you're a little prudey prude but you know how to work this pole", Nichelle said as she grabbed Olivia's hand and pulled her to the direction of the pole she was going to be using.

"I'm not a prude!", she argued while the other three looked at each other before bursting out in hysterical laughter.

"Whoooo! That's the funniest shit I've heard ever!", Harrison tried not to choke on his words.

"Knee slapper!", Abby laughed, sarcastically slapping her knee.

"Oh my gosh Liv, you've got to be kidding!", Nichelle laughed while holding her stomach.

"Oh, screw you all!", Olivia said while crossing her hands. "I'll show you all a prude! Abby, go turn the music on and hit the lights! Harrison, you have a seat. Nich, get your ass on the pole!"

"Uh oh, we've created a monster guys!", Abby said before leaving out of the room to switch the cds in the stereo.

Walking over to the stereo system, Abby found the right cd and skipped to the song that she knew Olivia and Nichelle were going to perform to. It was an old routine, the first one that Nichelle had taught her and Olivia, and it was often the one that she used for demonstrations. After the song was cued, she grabbed the remote and reached for the switch to adjust the lighting. She decided to shut off the room lights while turning on the spotlights that were centered around the pole. If it was one thing that Olivia had always instilled to everyone in the studio, it was that presentation was everything. Satisfied, Abby left to return to watch them dance when she heard someone knocking on the door. She walked over and opened it to find Jake and Fitz.

"Hi guys", she said to them both but looking directly at Jake.

"Hey", Jake answered, leaning in to give her a kiss on the cheek, causing her to blush.

"Hi Abby", Fitz said in the background.

"Abby, where the hell is the music!", Olivia yelled out.

"Sorry!", Abby yelled back, pressing the play button on the remote control.

**_Shoulders down, leg out  
Bend over, lips pout  
Bat eyes, show thighs  
Lift them up, don't touch_**

The loud music started playing as Nichelle and Olivia started their routine, unaware that there were two new guests in the audience. "Shhh...", Abby said to the guys, putting her finger to her lips as she led them into the room.

**_I got a proposition if you want it (if you want it)  
Dare you to let me run some game on ya (game on ya)  
Undress me with your eyes, you're in for a surprise  
What's underneath my exterior?_**

**_You do your best to put your name on it, (name on it)  
But you couldn't ever put your claim on it (claim on it)  
Create your fantasies, which role you wanna be?  
Check the reflection in the mirror_**

The women turned their backs to their audience, swaying their hips as they followed the sequence of the dance routine. Harrison leaned forward in his seat, his eyes nearly bulging out of their sockets. Jake reached for Abby's hand, intertwining their fingers in the darkness of the room. Abby looked over at Fitz, who had his eyes glued to Olivia, and she flashed a wicked grin.

**_I know you like it, the way I do it private, you can't deny it  
Just wanna please you, blow out your candle in my birthday suit surprise  
Just let me make your night, I'll do you like you like  
I'll fulfill your needs, keep your tip, this one's on me_**

**_You know you want my strip tease  
If you want it, say please  
You know you want my strip tease  
If you want it, say please  
You know you want my strip tease  
If you want it, say please  
You know you want my strip tease  
If you want it, I can make you if you want it_**

Nichelle made her way up her pole first, locking one knee around the cold metal as she used one hand to help her swing around in circles. Olivia followed Nichelle's lead, mirroring her form, only hanging upside down.

Everyone watched in silence. Harrison was surprised that Nichelle and Olivia were even able to pole dance, much less be so advanced. Jake, who was no stranger to seeing strippers worship a pole was unfazed. Fitz, on the other hand, was completely entranced. His eyes were locked on Olivia and he felt his throat go dry seeing her climbing the pole and then hanging upside down.

**_You've been real good and I can tell you on your best behavior  
Slowly I remove all my articles of clothing and I'll  
Let you come and sneak a peek, what's behind door number 3?  
Take off your blindfold to see clearer_**

**_The walls are talkin' bout the things we doin' (things we doin')  
Flip me and try an acrobatic movement (flip it, flip it)  
This is the center ring, come one, come all to see  
The main attraction like the Ringling Brothers_**

The women both lifted one leg, stretching it parallel to their poles as they continued swinging. Fitz noticed as they copied each other's movement, both taking turns to do the upside down version of what the other was doing. Hips winded, legs spread, and hair swung. He licked his lips, trying to combat their dryness, but it only turned him on even more. He felt his ears burn red as he started to stiffen in his pants.

**_It's so erotic, get closer, got a pocket full of candy with your favorite flavor  
You could have it now or later  
Don't you want a taste?  
Don't got no time to waste, I got some tasty cakes  
My filling's so sweet and it's good enough to eat_**

Olivia and Nichelle continued their moves effortlessly. As usual, Olivia performed with her eyes closed. It was her thing. She allowed herself to get completely lost in the music playing in the background. She felt the air rush past her ears as she flipped herself on cue, now in a handstand. She rotated her hips in the opposite direction of Nichelle's movements, which were done with her standing with her feet on the floor. Even with her eyes closed, she could feel someone's eyes burning through her flesh, but assumed it was just Harrison gawking over them and paid it no attention.

**_Oooh, and I just can't stop my clothes from fallin' down  
And we only got tonight, so make it count  
And I got you on the edge of your seat  
Anticipatin' my strip tease_**

Both Olivia and Nichelle descended from their poles, landing on their feet with ease. They played with their hair flirtatiously, dancing around in circles as the song faded out. The lights were flipped back on as their audience applauded.

Olivia heard more than two voices whooping and more than four hands clapping and opened her eyes to see that Harrison and Abby weren't the only other people in the room._ "Oh my God!"_, her face flushed pink as her chocolate brown eyes locked with Fitz's now stormy gray ones. She saw his Adam's apple rise and fall as he gulped before flashing her a smile. She smiled back nervously.

"Daaammmmmnnnnn", Harrison said first.

"Well well well ladies, wasn't that a lovely show!", Jake exclaimed, causing Nichelle and Harrison to turn their heads in the direction of their unexpected company. Hearing Jake's voice caused Olivia to snap out of her trance and roll her eyes in annoyance. Fitz chuckled lightly, obviously aware of how Jake's presence alone seemed to get under her skin.

"Why thank you, and you are?", asked Nichelle.

"Nich, Har, this is Jake and Fitz. We met them at dinner last night", Abby said, introducing them to the group.

"You met them at dinner last night, so what are they doing here tonight?", Harrison asked with a bit of an attitude as he saw Olivia and Fitz smiling at each other.

"Har, don't be rude!", Nichelle said, nudging him in the shoulder as she walked over to the men in the back of the room. "It's nice to meet you both and I'm glad you enjoyed our performance. Sorry you only got the mediocre version, we didn't feel the need to pull out the big guns for Harrison here", she joked while reaching to shake the men's hands.

"That was mediocre?", Fitz asked, eyes still focused on Olivia. "It was amazing. You guys have talent and lots of it".

"Thanks", answered Olivia, "What are you guys doing here? I thought Abby and Jake were going out".

"We were, but Jake thought it would be better to stop by."

"Yeah, and I dragged Fitzy along with me. Couldn't stand to see him cooped up in the house."

"Well that's nice... I guess", Olivia said while pulling her hair into a ponytail. "Any particular plans? We're just hanging out around here today, prepping for lessons tomorrow".

"Well Liv, I figured since everyone's here we could all hang out. Maybe head to Lou's? It's been awhile..."

"Oh my God! Lou's on a Sunday night?! It has been forever! I'm so down!", exclaimed Nichelle.

"Great, I gotta spend my Sunday night hearing people screech down the walls.", Harrison said.

"It's happy hour all day Har", Abby reminded him.

"Oh shit yes, Lou's here we come!"

"What's Lou's?", asked Fitz.

"It's a lounge. They play jazz during the week and Sunday nights is karaoke night, plus 2 for 1 drinks for happy hour.", Olivia said answering his question.

"2 for 1? What are we waiting for?". It seemed that Jake was interested in just about anything where there would be some form of liquor.

"Lou's it is?", Abby asked the group.

"Sounds good to me", Fitz answered.

* * *

**AN: Hey loves! Sorry for taking so long to update! But anyways, I really enjoy the feedback I'm getting for this story. I'm glad you all are seeming to enjoy it. So, we got some dancing and some more interactions with Nichelle and Harrison included in the mix. No one's relationship has been exposed yet, but they will be in the next coming chapters. There's definitely parallels in this story, if you all haven't noticed as yet. **

**Marie726: There will definitely be more Olitz possibly some Liv and Harrison... possibly...**

**Grant. For The People: Yes, JT is hands down my favorite album this year, both parts. So glad to see him take home so many AMA's last night, definitely well deserved. And yes, I think the "P" word is so vulgar, but we all know I'm working with a douche-y Jake here lol**

**I'm definitely liking Jake and Abby together. I'm still deciding on if their "relationship" os going to play out.**

**Forgot to mention, the song in the last chapter was _Aaliyah's "We Need A Resolution" featuring Timbaland._ The song they danced to in this chapter was _Danity Kane's "Strip Tease"_. I do apologize for the lack of details when it comes to dance moves. It's really hard to describe what I'm visualizing in my head and I try to do so to the best of my abaility. I'm hoping you all can visualize at least close enough to what I was going for lol. And as always, thanks for all the comments, reviews, and suggestions!**

**And how hot was Scandal on Thursday. Fitz getting it in from the back?! YES LAWD! I needed more though, but I guess it would be kinda weird getting all hot and steamy with a married and pregnant woman lol! No new episode this week means I actually have to hang out with my family! Lol, I joke, I kid!**


	6. The Night Out, Part I

"Liv, I envy you!"

"What? Why?", she giggled as she leaned closer to the mirror, applying her mascara.

"Because! You helped me plan an outfit, Nichelle had a spare outfit, you dug up some clothes from the costume closet and you STILL look better than the both of us!"

"Speak for yourself Abz, I KNOW I'm fine!", Nichelle interjected, causing them all to laugh.

"Nonsense Abby! I'm wearing clothes from the costume closet for Christ's sake! You two are all dolled up and I look like I'm taking out the trash!"

"Olivia, girl cut the crap!", Nichelle leaned into the mirror, popping her lips to even out her red lipstick. "We ALL look hot. Every man in Lou's tonight will be shook!", she turned around, placing her hands on her hips. "Besides, I would never step out with you two looking like trash, it would make everyone wanna look AWAY from me..."

"You're so full of it Nich!", Olivia playfully pinched her friend while she straightened herself in the mirror. "Okay okay, enough with the chit chat. Let's get going, we've kept them waiting long enough. I'm sure Harrison has burned a hole through the both of their foreheads by now."

"I don't know about Jake, but Fitz is definitely getting the death glare. Especially the way he was checking you out", Nichelle said as she checked her outfit one last time.

"He was not!"

"Look who's full of it now!"

"Come on Liv, you know Fitz likes you... or at least likes how you look...", Abby said, spraying herself with perfume.

"Abby, you're one to talk!", Olivia quipped back.

"And what's THAT supposed to mean?"

"It means Jake basically undresses you with his eyes", Nichelle grabbed the bottle of perfume, spraying herself with it. "You both are fooling no one but yourselves! But it's okay, I'll play wingman with Har tonight if it means you two can get you some di-"

"Spray me!", Olivia cut her off as she poked out her chest in Nichelle's direction.

* * *

"Sheesh, does it normally take them this long?", Jake asked, sounding a bit irritated as he walked around the room where the three men were waiting.

"They're three women Jake. They're probably chit chatting and getting outfit change advice. This is normal waiting time", Fitz laughed at his friend.

"Well, you know I usually don't wait for them to get dressed. More like waiting for them to get und-"

"Ahem", Harrison cleared his throat.

"Don't mind Jake, he's a bit of an asshole", Fitz said apologetically to Harrison.

"Mmm hmm...", he responded, folding his arms and walking away.

The room was filled with an awkward silence between the three men. Jake checked his outfit in the mirror, Harrison smirked as he checked his cellphone, and Fitz tried picking the invisible lint off of his sweater. The men's heads instantly shot up when the sounds of high heels and laughter filled the room.

Jake smirked devilishly as he checked out Abby. She wore a sparkly gold sleeveless blouse, black leggings, and matching gold sparkly heels. She went with a dramatic black-winged eye with speckles of gold eyeshadow, a soft pink blush, and a nude glossy lip. _"Shit."_

Harrison had to blink multiple times to make sure his vision wasn't blurry when he saw Nichelle's outfit. She wore a chiffon leopard print top, black leather shorts, and red pointed-toe pumps. She wore false lashes and paired them with a ruby red lip. _"Damn"._

Fitz's heart began racing when Olivia and her outfit finally came into view. She wore a cream bustier with floral print, a neon green skater skirt, and tan heels. She went for a more natural look, wearing only foundation, a light blush, bronzer, and a clear lip gloss with gold sparkles. _"Fuck"._

All three of the women had their hair up in tight buns on the top of their heads, with Olivia's being the largest bun due to her thick, long curls. The fragrance of their perfume filled the air as the ladies blushed at the men's obvious reactions.

"Quit gawking and let's bounce!", Nichelle said, locking elbows with Harrison and dragging him towards the door. Abby followed suit, grabbing Jake's hand as they playfully meshed their fingers. Fitz and Olivia awkwardly walked next to each other, far enough that they didn't touch each other, but close enough that they didn't create much of a gap.

"Would you mind tugging the door for me?", she asked him quietly, suddenly embarrassed at her slightly OCD-esque habit.

"Sure", he grinned at her, tugging on the door.

"Thank you."

"No problem".

"Okay you two", Jake called out, "I'm not trying to stand out here all night!"

* * *

After a ride on the subway and a few blocks of walking, the group made their way into Lou's. Nichelle and Abby convinced Olivia to walk ahead of the group so they were able to forgo the $10 charge, but the men insisted on paying the entrance fees for themselves and the ladies.

They found their way to a circular booth closer to the stage and they piled into their seats. Nichelle sat at the end on one side of the table with Harrison to her right, Jake sat at the other end of the table, with Abby to his left. This left Olivia and Fitz seated next to each other, Olivia sitting between both Fitz and Harrison.

"Hi, welcome to Lou's! My name is Gina and I'll be your server tonight. As you all know, tonight is our weekly karoake night, as well as all day happy hour, with 2-for-1 specials on all drinks and savings on all food items. Can I start you all with a drink? Maybe some appetizers?" Everyone placed their orders and held up a conversation until Gina returned. Once everyone received their drinks and food, the table fell silent as their mouths were now occupied.

"I can't take a another bite", Olivia said, rubbing her stomach as she pushed the plate with her half eaten burger away from her.

"You're seriously not gonna eat that Liv?", Harrison asked. He waited for her to shake her head before he went for her plate.

"Chute Boy, some things never change...", Abby laughed.

"Chute Boy?", Fitz asked, confused about the nickname.

"Short for garbage chute. He eats everyone's leftovers. His stomach has no bottom...", Nichelle explained, dipping one of her chicken strips in sauce.

"Oh...", Fitz laughed.

* * *

After eating, the group enjoyed, for the most part, those brave enough to partake in the karoake. There were the few regulars actually who had talent and hit the stage religiously every Sunday, in hopes that someone in the audience would notice them and give them a record deal. But, it was mostly drunk newcomers that screeched the wrong song lyrics, even though they were on the screen.

"Let's go sing guys!", Nichelle spoke to Abby and Olivia.

"YES! We haven't done it in forever!"

"No no no!", Olivia contested. "Absolutely not!"

"Oh come on Liv, live a little!", Nichelle said, standing out of her sit.

"Please please please Olivia! You know we can't do it with you!", Abby pleaded, as she tapped Jake's shoulder to let her out of the booth.

"Fine!", Olivia said, rolling her eyes, pushing Harrison so he would move for her to come out of the booth.

"We have three lovely ladies ready to take the stage! Can we have a round of applause for..."

"O&C", Nichelle whispered in the MC's ear.

"...for O&C!" The crowd began to applaud, a few men whistling at them. Abby went to request the song as Nichelle and Olivia took their place on stage.

"What song are we doing?", Olivia asked as she adjusted her mic down to her height.

"Oh, you know what song we're doing. Same parts and everything! We're doing the dance too!", Nichelle answered her.

"I swear I'm not drunk enough for this shit!", Olivia rolled her eyes as the music began playing. The ladies swayed their hips, left to right, and snapped their fingers in unison as Nichelle took on the first verse.

_**Love is blind, as far as the eye can see**_

_**Deep and meaningless words to me**_

_**Easy lover, I need a friend**_

_**Road to nowhere, twists and turns, but will this never end?**_

Olivia sighed as she knew it was her turn to pick up her verses.

**_Well, my dear, you know that he pleases me (pleases me)_**

**_But short time solution ain't no resolution_**

**_There ain't no release for me_**

The women sang the chorus together.

_**Too much of something is bad enough**_

_**But something's coming over me to make me wonder**_

_**Too much of nothing is just as tough**_

_**I need to know the way to feel to keep me satisfied**_

Nichelle slightly elbowed Olivia, as a signal to pick up the slack. Jake beamed as Abby started her verse, staring directly into his eyes as the words flowed from her mouth.

**_Unwrap yourself from around my finger_**

**_Hold me too tight, or left to linger_**

**_Something fine, built to last_**

**_Slipped up there, I guess we're running outta time too fast_**

This time, the embarrassment began wearing off and Olivia began showing a little more enthusiasm in her voice.

**_Yes my dear, you know that he soothes me (moves me)_**

**_There's no complication, there's no explanation_**

**_It's just a groove in me_**

The men watched as the ladies held their notes and Fitz wasn't surprised that they didn't sound bad at all. Especially Olivia. Their eyes made a brief contact and he smiled at her, reassuring her that she was doing fine.

**_Too much of something is bad enough_**

**_(Bad enough)_**

**_But something's coming over me to make me wonder_**

**_Too much of nothing is just as tough_**

**_(Just as tough)_**

**_I need to know the way to feel to keep me satisfied_**

Fitz's soft smile helped loosen Olivia up even more, and by the time her verse came around again, she was ready to show everyone why out of the three of them, she always held the same person's vocals.

**_What part of "no" don't you understand?_**

**_(Understand, understand)_**

**_I want a man, not a boy who thinks he can_**

**_Boy who thinks he can_**

As she hit her high note, the audience roared with applause. Fitz raised his eyebrows, surprised at how well she was singing and he began clapping loudly with pride. The crowd was entertained and everyone joined in for the next run of the chorus.

**_Too much of something is bad enough_**

**_But something's coming over me to make me wonder_**

**_Too much of nothing is just as tough_**

**_I need to know the way to feel to keep me satisfied_**

The girls smiled at each other, happy that they were able to pull off such a good performance. They held hands, swinging them back and forth as they joined in to harmonize the last bit of the song.

**_Too much of nothing, so why don't we give it a try?_**

**_Too much of something, we're gonna be living a lie_**

**_Too much of nothing, so why don't we give it a try?_**

**_Too much of something, we're gonna be living a lie_**

**_Too much of nothing, so why don't we give it a try?_**

**_Too much of something, we're gonna be living a lie_**

* * *

**AN: I love how you all loved Fitz's reaction to Liv dancing. Mind you, pole dancing is not always for strippers. It's also just sensual dancing as well, a kind of intimacy if you will. It gives a little sexy, without sex. I know you guys are probably waiting for some smut, but hopefully this fulfilled your needs for the time being lol.**

**BeckyPo: wherever theres alcohol, theres a good time (;**

**Scandalised: Whenever theres an Olitz moment, I secretly wish it was on HBO. They need to come out with an unrated version lol**

**LoreneMichelle41: hmmm... a love triangle... (;**

**crabapplect: i think its just hard to picture Olitz with anyone else besides each other lol**

**Guest: i'm pretty sure I'd break every bone too lol. these women make it look effortless! id love to take classes someday lol**

**Aunt Dee94: yay! another Jake/Abby shipper! lol**

**Marie762: Haha, i knew someone had to have been to a strip club. But trust me, this routine was nowhere near as raunchy lol. This was sexy, yet class pole dancing. And yes, I love a protective Harrison, especially on the show. **

**Trust me you guys, the dancing has only just begun! Now, for this chapter, I have actually split it in two. I started writing and realizing it was getting too long (which is never a problem), but everything wouldn't flow well together. So, you can expect Part 2 sometime after this gets posted.**

**So, the girls got dolled up to enjoy a night on the town with the guys. Everyone's been introduced and seem to be hitting it off. I loved the little jokes and banter between them. The four of them (Olivia, Harrison, Abby, and Nichelle) have a pretty close relationship as a whole, and within their are even closer relationships. I promise, it might be a little bit confusing now, but in the next few chapters, everything will start to make sense.**

**I absolutely loved the girls going up on stage and singing together. I tried to go for a song that might be recognized by everyone, especially if you were alive in the 90s (if you werent, you shouldn't be reading this anyway! Young ass! lol). **

**But, in case you didn't know the song, it was _"Too Much" by the Spice Girls_. Nichelle had the first verse (Mel B/Scary and Emma/Baby's vocals), Abby had the second verse (Geri/Ginger and Victoria/Posh's vocals) and of course Olivia sang all of Mel C/Sporty's verses and background vocals (which are my absolute favorite parts of the song). A big warm hello and cyberhug to those apart of the Spice Girl fandom (I KNOW YOU GUYS ARE OUT THERE! lol)**

**Anywho, again, I appreciate all of your comments, reviews, PMs, suggestions. And hello to all new followers! Don't be shy yall, I don't bite! Thanks for all the support and encouragement and I hope all of you celebrating Thanksgiving he a safe and enjoyable one!**


	7. The Night Out, Part II

**AN: Here's Part II everyone! I hope everyone that celebrated enjoyed their Thanksgiving. I know I did!**

* * *

Everyone clapped as the women stepped off stage and headed back to their seats. After a few more rounds of performers, the MC informed the audience that there was going to be a thirty-minute dance break before the lounge closed for the night. Upon hearing this, Abby grabbed her phone to send a text to Nichelle.

**_Abby: "Ask Harrison to dance"_**

**_Nichelle: "Eww. Gross. Why?"_**

**_Abby: "Because, I'm going to dance with Jake."_**

**_Nichelle: "Aaaannddd... so what?!"_**

**_Abby: "Sooo... ask him so Olivia and Fitz can be left at the table alone. They're either gonna sit there and not say anything, engage in conversation, or he asks her to dance. Either way, all roads lead to Olivia and Fitz tonight."_**

**_Nichelle: "Fine. I'll dance with him. All roads lead to Olitz I guess._**

**_Abby: "Olitz! That's so cute! So what are Jake and I?"_**

**_Nichelle: "Annoying..."_**

**_Abby: "Haha, very funny..."_**

Abby placed her phone in her purse and laid it on the table, leaning over and whispering in Jake's ear that she wanted to dance with him. He stood up, reaching out a hand to help her out of her seat before leading her to the dance floor.

Nichelle stood up, pulling Harrison out of his seat.

"Nich, what are you doing?"

"Come on lover boy, dance with me..."

"Why?"

"Because, I look sexy and you know you want to. Get up!" He sighed, rolling eyes as he lifted himself from the booth.

It didn't take long for Olivia to catch on to what her friends were doing. She sipped her drink and Fitz sipped his beer. They sat at the table in an awkward silence for a few minutes before Fitz finally spoke up.

"I know I'm not a professional and don't own my dance studio or anything, but would you be willing to dance with me?", he asked, smiling at her.

"Sure, why not?", she giggled. They both stood up and moved out of the booth, Fitz taking her hand to lead her through the crowd where they found a nice, secluded spot.

Fitz wrapped his arms around Olivia's waist, his hands lingering on her lower back. She loosely wrapped her arms around his neck, her fingertips lingering on the curls on his nape. They swayed slowly as the R&B music played in the background.

_**...It's getting late**_  
_**Why you gotta be here?**_  
_**Beside me**_  
_**Watching, needing, wanting me**_  
_**But I'm afraid (don't be)**_  
_**I'm afraid, (don't be)**_  
_**I'm so scared that you'll hurt me...**_

After realizing that Olivia and Fitz were no longer sitting in their seats at the table, Abby searched for them through the crowd before finding them in their own little corner. She smiled to herself when she saw Fitz and Olivia smiling at each other. She shot a glance over at Nichelle, who smiled widely back at her. They both returned to their own dance partners, Jake and Harrison both being none the wiser.

"You know what they're doing right?", Fitz asked her.

"No, what?", she asked innocently.

"I think our friends are trying to hook us up..."

"Oh really?"

"Yes really..."

"_Shit, way to go guys_", she thought to herself

_**...I love you here by me baby**_  
_**You let my love fly free**_  
_**I want you in my life for all time**_  
_**Caught up in the rapture of love**_  
_**Nothin' else could compare**_  
_**When I feel the magic of you...**_

"I think it's cute"

"Why on earth would that be cute?", she laughed.

"They're obviously fond of you."

"We've been through a lot together..."

"That's understandable. Jake and I went through a lot together too. He might be a moron, but he's a really good friend."

"That's something I'd have to see to believe."

"I'm sure you'll see it one day..."

"We'll see..."

_**...And I know this much is true**_  
_**Baby, you have become my addiction**_  
_**I'm so strung out on you, I can barely move**_  
_**But I like it and it's all because of you...**_

"So, are you seeing someone?"

"Excuse me?", she said with an attitude. _"Oh great, he's one of those..."_

He tried to hold back his laughter when he felt her tense up and he saw the anger in her face.

"Not like that Olivia. I just figured I could have someone show me around the city, the hot spots and such. I wouldn't want to get you in trouble with your significant other or anything..."

"Oh...", she said apologetically. _"Olivia, you're such an idiot."_ "I'm sorry. That was rude. But sure, I wouldn't mind showing you around..."

"Great", he smiled at her and she was almost certain her underwear were basically ripping themselves off.

**_...Certainly, you can call me, baby_**  
**_I'd love to hear from you_**  
**_Yes, of course, you can come and see me boy_**  
**_Wanna get to know you more_**  
**_Sure, I'm feeling you..._**

"What do you think of the guys?", Nichelle asked Harrison.

"Why?"

"I like them. They're nice."

"So what?"

"So Abby and Jake obviously have something going on and I think Olivia and Fitz might be checking each other out."

"Doubt it.."

"You doubt it, or you just don't wanna believe it?"

"What's supposed to mean?!", he asked defensively.

"Oh nothing..."

The music stopped playing and the crowd started clapping. Faces winced and people growled as they tried to adjust their eyes from the dim light they were in for most of the night to the brightness that now filled the room. Everyone went to gather their things, making their way out the door.

"That's all folks! Thanks for coming out to another Sunday night at Lou's! We hope that you'll join us again next Sunday. Just a reminder, we will be having a special guest, R&B singer Elle Varner, joining us here Friday. We do apologize, but as of tonight, the tickets have been completely sold out! Again, everyone, thank you for spending your Sunday evening with us! Everyone get home safe!"

* * *

Outside, Jake and Abby stood holding hands and playfully whispering in each other's ears, and Harrison and Nichelle stood apart looking bored as everyone waited for the missing members of the group. After a few minutes, Fitz's face came into view as he emerged from the lounge, with a much shorter Olivia clinging to his arm, so she wouldn't get lost in the crowd. Upon seeing her friends, she immediately let him go.

"So, did everyone have fun? I know it was exciting for Fitz and Jake to ride the subway for the very first time and get to hear cracked voices and broken spirits tonight, right?", Nichelle asked the group.

"Gosh Nich, you're heartless", Olivia giggled.

"I had fun. It was a nice experience. Thanks for inviting us!", Fitz answered.

"Yeah, what Fitz said!", Jake said, momentarily pulling his lips from Abby's ear to answer her.

"Liv, did you know your girl Elle Varner was gonna be there this week?", Harrison asked.

"No! I'm so mad the tickets are sold out! I would have loved to see her sing live. She's absolutely amazing!", she answered, crossing her arms and frowning like a child, causing everyone to laugh.

"Well, we've had a great evening and I'd hate to cut this short, but Jake and I have a very busy day ahead of us at the office tomorrow. Isn't that right Jacob?"

"Oh yeah, meetings out the ass. Big ol' snoozefest...", he answered, as Fitz and Olivia rolled their eyes.

"Can I walk you ladies home?", Fitz asked, looking directly at Olivia.

"I've got it", Harrison answered him, "Nichelle and I were gonna crash with Abby and Olivia tonight anyways..."

"Oh...", Fitz said awkwardly, causing Abby and Nichelle to shoot Harrison a look.

"Yeah, we're good. But thank you for the offer anyways", Olivia smiled sweetly at him, causing a smile of his own to form.

"Alright, let's hit the pavement before the crazies come out!", Harrison said loudly, breaking Fitz and Olivia out of their trance.

"Goodnight guys! It was nice meeting you both. Maybe we could all do this again some day!", Nichelle to the group, walking up to Harrison, leaving the four to handle their goodbyes.

* * *

Olivia walked into her bedroom, towel drying her hair and found Harrison in his makeshift bed on the floor.

"I don't know why you always insist on sleeping on the floor whenever you come over. I have a big ass bed for goodness sake Har!", she said, stepping over him to lock her bedroom door.

He admired her thick, toned legs, the short shorts and old t-shirt she chose to wear to bed tonight. For that reason alone, he always insisted on sleeping on the floor whenever he crashed their house. It was their usual sleeping arrangement: Nichelle sleeping in Abby's room and Harrison sleeping in Olivia's. No really saw anything wrong with because Olivia and Harrison shared a close relationship. He would have preferred the couch, but Olivia always scolded him, saying, "Hell no! I paid my good money for this couch and I damn sure won't have you come and ruin it!"

"I sleep on the floor because I'm a gentleman that doesn't believe in sharing a bed with a woman I'm not married to".

"Oh, so do you sleep on the floor when you spend the night with your little groupies?"

"I said I don't share a bed with women Olivia, those are sluts. The rule no longer applies!"

"You're such an idiot!", she laughed out, flipping the switch and climbing into her bed.

"Goodnight Harry"

"Goodnight Libby". She smiled at the nickname they shared with each other since they were children. She turned over, burying her cheeks in the pillows and it didn't take long for their even breaths to fill the room.

* * *

The sound of whimpers and the sheets rustling on the bed above him woke him out of his sleep. He pulled off his covers, leaning up and rubbing his eyes so he was able to see clearer in the dark. He stood up, making his way to the bed where he saw her tossing and turning.

_"Shit, another one…"_

He slowly crawled into the bed with her, trying to hush her as she fought back violently.

"Lib, it's me. It's me, Har. It's okay Lib, calm down. It's just a nightmare. Libby…"

Her eyes popped open, turning over to see Harrison staring at her. He smiled at her and she felt horrible.

"You okay?"

"Yeah."

"Was it…"

"Yeah."

"Do you wanna talk about it?"

"No."

"Okay, I'm right here for you. I'm not going anywhere."

He was so good to her. Why was he so good to her? She knew Harrison had a very wild, promiscuous side and she knew he'd give it up in a heartbeat if it meant that he could be with her. But she couldn't. They loved each other, platonically, and maybe even more, but she couldn't. She was the roadblock stopping them from their happiness.

She laid there, thinking of the many times that they had come close to taking it to the next level, both relationship-wise and intimately, and she had always been the one to stop it. His heart broke every time and she hated that she needed him more as a friend than a lover. She snapped out of her thoughts when she heard him calling her name.

"Olivia, do you want me to get you some water or something?"

Her only answer was to wrap her arm around his neck, drawing his face closer to hers, before crashing her lips unto his. Taken by surprise, his eyes widened and he pulls away, looking at her curiously.

"Liv?", he asks. He needs to know. He needs to make sure she wants this just as bad as he needs it. He gives her a few moments to change her mind and when she doesn't, he goes in for the kill.

Their lips meet hungrily, tongues fighting each other like swords. Her shorts go first, then his. Their tops fly off and land somewhere in the dark. He looks down and sees she wasn't wearing any bra or underwear. He's too busy taking in the sight of her naked body to notice her hands reaching into his boxers, instantly freeing his member. He opens her legs, aligning himself with her core. He leans down, kissing her softly and readies himself to push in when a loud crash stops them in their tracks.

"Shit!", they hear Nichelle's voice say.

"Damn Nich, do you gotta be so loud?", Abby whispers.

"I'm sorry! I'm hungry! Dammit, there's glass everywhere!"

"You get the big pieces, I'll get the broom..."

And there it goes. Their moment. His one chance to finally get to be with his Libby. Ruined. She places her hands on his chest, pushing him up slightly as she grabs her sheets to wrap around her body, getting out of bed to walk to the bathroom. He lays back on the bed, a deep sigh escapes his mouth as he rubs his face in his palms.

* * *

**AN: Major plot twist huh?! Lol I hope you guys don't hate me too much!**

**Quick recap! So Nichelle is now in on Operation Olitz! And Fitz and Olivia caught on to their plan lol. Fitz asking Olivia if she's seeing anyone and her reaction is priceless. There's also a little playa hatin coming from Harrison's direction. Harrison and Liv ALMOST did the nasty… I wonder how this will change their relationship…hmm**

**I love that you guys all liked the guys' reactions to their outfits! it was definitely my favorite part to write, although it was somewhat the hardest too lol. I had to make sure they looked cute for you guys lol! I also think it's so funny that you guys just KNOW that Liv is gonna use her dancing skills on Fitz. But of course, what's the point of being a dancer if you can't use what you got? lol**

**tvobsessedWHAT: i literally busted out laughing at "when do they have sex" lololol. I know it's rated M and i know you guys wanna see the smut but I reaaalllyyy want for them to take it slow for awhile. There might be some other smut tho, like the mini smut in this chapter.**

**I honestly appreciate all of you guys' comments, reviews, and suggestions. I really can't wait for you guys' review on this chapter! lol**

**Oh yeah! The songs mentioned, in order:**

**Getting Late - Floetry**

**Caught Up In The Rapture - Anita Baker**

**Because Of You - Ne-Yo**

**Yes - Beyonce**

**And if you guys have any song you'd like me to use, especially for dances, let me know! (Please, let me know what kind of dancing it would be appropriate to be used with) (:**


	8. The Morning After

**AN: I****know I've taken forever to update this story, but the last two weeks of the semester was really time consuming. But anyways, it's over and there's only one more semester until graduation, yay me! lol**

**Everyone's reaction to Harrison and Liv was pretty much the same - NO! But I had to ruffle a few feathers lol. Some were confused about Harrison almost GTD (getting the DRAWLS) but not Fitz. Welllll, Fitz and Olivia have just met! Harrison have known each other forever and have been well aware of their tension. But yes, it was a moment for Liv where Harrison was there comforting her and she got carried away. ****I laughed so hard at all the "No" and "Eww", ****gosh you guys are heartless lololol!**

**But anyways, there isn't much going on in this chapter, just some filler and story progression. BUT I do advise you guys pay attention to a few very important details!**

**And what about the mid-season finale? I just... idk how I feel about Shonda anymore. Girl, what are you doing. Why is Jake command when he was just wining about him being sucked into B613. Why is Olivia kissing Jake after sleeping with Fitz? They must have sone great you-know-what because I swear these men got Olivia trippin! And how are they in plans together when they just hated each other and they're in love with the same woman.**

**Now, the scene with Fitz and Rowan was just... I love/hate Rowan. I know Fitz was trying to get a rise out him, but...**

**Quinn is annoying me, Huck is annoying me, where is Harrison's backstory, Abby and David are eww, is Charlie falling for Quinn**

**And Mama Pope's coat... did she steal that from Liv? I swear it's the same one from 301.**

**And February 27th?! ABC, how could yall do this to us?! I'll be shivering, rocking back in forth in a corner, and scratching my neck raw until then smh...**

* * *

_BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!_

She wakes up the loud noise of her alarm going off. Groaning, she reaches her hand over to her bed side table, making a few unsuccessful taps until she finally presses the snooze button. She rolls over on her back and stares at the ceiling. Another brain pounding migraine. She pulls herself from bed and heads to the bathroom, walking past the neatly folded sheet and comforter Harrison used last night on the floor. She sighs deeply, preparing herself for her shower.

After she finishes her morning routine, she returns to her bedroom, shuffling around through her sheets to find her cellphone. No missed calls, no missed messages. Usually, Harrison would leave a message thanking for letting him crash, even though he knew it was never a problem. She decides to shoot him a text.

**_Olivia: Hey, you didn't say goodbye this morning. Just wanna make sure you're okay..._**

Honestly, what do you say to someone after almost sleeping with them? She hated herself for what she had done. It was a weak moment for her and he was there. She took advantage of the fact, ultimately taking advantage of his feelings and she was very disappointed in herself. She hoped that they would be able to discuss what happened and still continued to be friends. She felt her phone vibrate in her palm.

**_Harrison: Yea_**

Yea? Was that seriously it?

_**Olivia: Can we talk?**_

She should at least have an opportunity to explain herself and to ask for his forgiveness.

**_Harrison: It's October 1st. I get it._**

She sighed with frustration, placing her phone on it's charger, spreading her bed and putting up the extra sheets before getting dressed for the day.

* * *

She stepped out of her bedroom and was instantly greeted by the sweet smell of french vanilla coffee floating in the air. She walked into the kitchen, finding both Nichelle and Abby sitting on the bar stools, a plate before them with mugs in their hands. Hearing her feet cross the room, Abby turned around to acknowledge her friend.

"Morning Liv! We made you breakfast. All your favorites: scrambled eggs with cheese, bacon, sausage, and some toast. And of course, your french vanilla coffee.."

"I used the french press this time!", Nichelle exclaimed.

"Thank guys", she said, hugging her friends before making herself a plate.

"How are you feeling today?", Abby asked.

"I'm okay.."

"I'm assuming you're coming in late this morning?"

"Yeah. Abby, can you open up for me, and Nichelle, would you mind taking over my class today?"

"Already on it!"

"Of course I don't mind. I'll take over for the week, if you need me to..."

"Just today should be fine", she said, biting into a strip of bacon, "Thanks..."

"Well, we're gonna get going", Abby said, hopping down from her stool.

"We'll see you later Liv", Nichelle said, placing her plate in the dishwasher.

"Bye guys."

* * *

Her feet lightly touched her ground as she made her way across the street. She had decided to spend a little more time this morning and was grateful that she had asked Nichelle to take over her class. She continued walking slowly, sniffling in the cold air when she heard her cellphone ring.

"Olivia!"

"Morning Cy", she answered.

"It's October 1st"

"It is..."

"How are you feeling sweetheart?"

"I'm fine. And yourself?"

"Oh, you know me. An old brute just checking in because apparently my girls have forgotten all about me."

"Cy, I'm sorry we haven't kept in touch lately. There's so much going on at the studio, we've all been very busy.."

"I understand Olivia. It's just that a call would be nice, maybe even a visit every once in awhile.."

"I know, I know. How about we visit for Thanksgiving this year? Take a nice week-long trip?"

"Oh really? We haven't had Thanksgiving together in awhile.."

"Thanksgiving it is! Where's James? Is he around?"

"He's tending to the baby at moment.."

"Well, let him know of the plans and tell him I'll be sending my requests for dinner soon"

"Oh, I bet you will. You girls could always eat us out of a house and home", they both laughed.

"I've gotta go, give James and Ella a kiss for me please?"

"I sure will. You enjoy your day Liv, and try to keep in touch with your old man. I love you very much."

"I'll call more often, we can finalize the plans once I talk it over with the girls. I love you too. I'll call you later, Dad.", she said before they hung up the phone.

She rounded the corner and arrived at the studio, pushing the door and walking inside. She closed the door behind her, pulling off her scarf and coat, hanging the items on the rack by the door.

"Good afternoon Olivia, how are you today?"

"I'm good Quinn, and a good afternoon to you too. How are you?"

"I'm a little nervous. I have my test later on this afternoon"

"No need to fret Quinn. You're a smart girl, I know you'll do well"

"Thank you Olivia", Quinn beamed at the compliment.

"You're welcome hun. Any mail? Any messages?"

"Well, this came in for you this morning", said, bending behind the desk and placing a huge bouquet of flowers in front of her. "Hmm, I wonder who these are from", Quinn said while she winked at her.

Olivia's eyes widened at the display and she delicately ran her fingers across the petals, trying not to damage any of the flowers. After a few seconds of searching, she found a card hidden in between the colorful array and she reached in to pick it up. She opened the card and her face fell as she read the inscription.

**_"Hope you're having a good day. I made reservations Paul's for 7 tonight..._**

**_- E.D."_**

Her eyes rolled and her instant happiness achieved by the surprising gift was gone. How dare he? It was just like Edison to reach out to her at a time of weakness and then try to control her. It was how their relationship began and exactly how it ended.

_"He made reservations for Paul's at 7? I hope the fucker enjoys eating alone."_

"Olivia?", Quinn asked, noticing the look on her face.

"Anything else Quinn?"

"Uhh, yeah...", she said confused, "A man called for you this morning. Said he'd like to meet with you this Friday to discuss some interview."

"A man?"

"Yeah, I couldn't hear that well over the music, but it was 'something Grand'. He left a number for you."

"Grand?"

"I think so", she answered, handing her the slip with the message on it.

"I'll give him a call later", she grabbed the slip and walked away. She had barely left the spot where she was standing when she heard Quinn call out to her.

"Olivia, what about the flowers?"

"Toss em"

* * *

She opened the door to the main dance room and peeked in on Nichelle ending her morning dance fitness class. This was one of her newest classes that was taught at the studio and she was glad at the outcome of participants that came to attend. She smiled to herself as she quietly exited the room, heading into her private office. She took a seat at her desk, turning her stereo volume on low as she picked up her phone, dialing the number on the message slip.

"Hypetown Magazine, Fitzgerald Grant's office, this is Amelia speaking, how may I help you?"

Shit! It wasn't 'something Grand', it was 'Fitzgerald Grant'! Fitz had called to schedule a meeting about the interview for the magazine. He came through! He was serious! Olivia was completely shocked and her soul was about to leap from her body when she heard "Hello?!", repeated with a hint of annoyance.

"Hi, I'm sorry. I was calling to speak to Mr. Grant...

"May I ask who's speaking?"

"Olivia. Olivia Pope."

"Ms. Pope, hold one second please as I direct your call.."

She heard the line go silent before a recording of the magazine's accomplishments began to play. She was nervous and she didn't know why. She felt a flurry of butterflies moving around her stomach and a small wave of nausea, so she took deep inhales and exhales trying to calm herself down, when she heard the recording stop and his voice on the line.

"Olivia...", her name rolled off his tongue and she swore her heart stopped. His voice was so smooth, so sexy, and he made her name sound like heaven.

"Hi", she managed to squeak out and she was pretty sure she heard him smirk when he responded with a "Hi" of his own.

"I'm sorry I missed your call this morning, I came in a little later than usual..."

"It's no problem. Is everything okay? You sound a bit...off.."

"Off?"

"A little... sad? I dunno, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that.."

"It's okay..."

The line was silent for a few moments, except for the sound of them breathing.

"So, umm, you called to schedule a meeting?"

"Oh? Oh, yes! Sorry! Umm, I discussed the possibility of covering your studio for the magazine during a staff meeting this morning and it was suggested we had a little sit-down meeting. I was thinking this Friday, in the morning, around 10... if that's okay with you?"

"Friday? Sure, I can make it. Should I bring anything or..."

"Just yourself should be fine..."

"Okay. I'll see you Friday."

"Friday at ten. I'll have my secretary call Thursday as a reminder, as well as providing you the address and the details on where we'll be meeting. Oh, and Olivia..."

"Yeah?"

"I hope you feel better"

"Thank you", she smiled before hanging up her phone.


	9. The Meeting

**_Friday Morning_**

Olivia nervously walked through the building for Hypetown Magazine's New York Headquarters. Her heels clacked on the black and white marble tiling as she made her way to the elevator.

_DING!_

She stepped off unto the fourth floor, home of the marketing department, and walked over to the secretary's desk. A young, blonde woman smiled at her, her holding up a finger as a means of letting her know that she had to finish the call she was on.

"Yes, Mr. Wrozynski, we miss you guys in Miami too. I've scheduled in your private phone conference with Fitz for later on this afternoon. Yes sir... yes... and a good day to you too", she placed the phone on the hook, now focusing her attention on Olivia.

"Sorry about that ma'am. I'm Amelia, how can I help you?"

"Good morning Amelia, and it's no problem at all. I have an appointment with Fitzgerald at 10. Apparently he's a very busy man today", they both giggled.

"Oh, Ms. Pope! It's so nice to meet you. I've heard a lot about you this week", the woman winked at her and Olivia arched her eyebrows. "You're a few minutes early and he should be finishing up a call any minute now. Feel free to have a seat or look around, I'll let him know you're here".

"Thank you", Olivia smiled, walking away from the desk as she began to look around the lobby. There were blown-up copies of a few previous covers of the magazine suspended from silver wires. She had recognized all of these covers simply because she owned every edition printed. The thought of her studio, her students, her face on one of these covers blew her away momentarily.

* * *

He had just gotten off the phone with his accountant when he saw an instant message pop up on his computer screen. It was Amelia letting him know that Olivia was here and waiting in the lobby. He rose from his desk and checked himself in the mirror. He noticed the small droplets of sweat collecting on his forehead and palms and his throat became dry, with a slight feeling of suffocation. He grabbed a paper towel, dabbing his face and then drying his hands. Then, he loosened the tie around his neck a little and took a large gulp from the water bottle on his desk. When he was sure that he had calmed down, he left his office to retrieve her.

He stopped in his tracks when he walked into the lobby, seeing her looking at the covers hanging for display. She wore a pair of light brown wide leg trousers that clung to her hips and made her ass look heavenly, a cream colored cap sleeved top with ruffle detailing, and a pair of nude high heels. Her hair was bone straight, pulled into a low, neat ponytail, the ends hanging passed her lower back. He saw a pair of small gold studs in her ears and a few thin gold bangles on her wrist. She held a nude clutch, which matched the color of her heels perfectly, securely under her arm as he saw her reach to touch one of the floating pictures.

"Olivia!", he said, barely able to find the strength to speak after taking in her appearance. He saw her turning her head and she smiled at him, the both of them walking towards each other. She leaned in to give him a short, friendly hug and it took all of his might not to hold her body to him as he took in the scent of her perfume. Jimmy Choo. She was nothing short of perfection.

"Hi Fitz, it's nice to see you. And thank you, thank you so much for making this happen. I promise, you didn't have to."

"Nonsense Olivia, after seeing your moves Sunday night, I knew you'd be perfect."

The sound of someone clearing their throat caused them both to turn their heads in Amelia's direction, who continued to look at her computer screen as if nothing had happened. Fitz grabbed Olivia's hand, slowly leading her over to Amelia's desk.

"Melia, this is Olivia Pope, which I'm sure you already know. We're working her getting her in the first NY edition".

"Of course I know who she is Fitzy, you've been bragging about her all week", she turned to Olivia, "he found one of your performances on S-Tube or whatever is it and has been showing it to almost anyone who'd watch it".

Fitz's face flushed pink and he glared at Amelia for a second before turning to Olivia. "In the staff meeting, they asked if I had any proof of your worthiness. I googled your name and a few Youtube links showed up. I showed them a video and they were blown away". He smiled at her, hoping that his explanation helped him not look like some sort of crazed stalker.

"Oh my gosh, really? Those videos are from when we first started the studio. They're practically ancient. I had someone record a few of our sessions and performances for promotion."

"Well, we both can agree that they've done their job."

"Yeah, they have..", she smiled.

"Olivia, if you would follow me into my office, where the meeting will be taking place. Melia, do me a favor and let the rest of the guys know that she's here", he said, taking Olivia's hand and leading her down the hallway. They passed a few doors before he slowed down his walking, stopping in front of a door that he used a key card to open. Olivia's jaw dropped when she took in the sight.

His office was huge and well-decorated. There was a desk, with two large computer monitors, which she assumed was his working space. A large glass window-pane replaced one wall, giving an excellent bird eye's view of the city below. In front of the window was a large conference table, adorned with what appeared to be a breakfast buffet.

"Have you eaten? We usually try and feed our guests. You're welcome to anything on the table, or I can send someone from the kitchen with something else, if you'd like."

"No, I haven't", she giggled, "And it's no need to have to put someone else to work, I can eat what's here."

"Okay, you can have a seat, anywhere you'd like. Let me just grab my iPad and make sure my phone is off", he said turning to walk over to his desk.

"Wait!", she said a little too frantically.

"Something wrong?", he turned to her, a look of concern on his face.

"No. It's just... your tie..."

"My tie?"

"It's crooked...", she lowered her face.

"It's crooked?", he chuckled.

"I'm sorry. I caught it and I just can't stop looking at it and I don't know if it's just me being anal, because I doubt anyone would notice it...", she began rambling, "...it's just really distracting and I must sound like a complete idiot because here I am in the office of the magazine that could potentially change my life and instead of just taking a seat and grabbing something to eat, like you said I could do, I'm insulting you and your tie. I'm so sorry."

_"She's so nervous"_, he thought to himself. Her voice was starting to squeak and her breathing was heavy and he was pretty sure she felt humiliated because he saw the beginning of tears start to form. Wanting to calm her down before the meeting started, he pulled her body towards his, running his fingers along her arms.

"Hey, it's okay Olivia. Try to relax for me, okay? I know you're nervous, but everything will be okay. Hey, you wanna fix my tie? I don't wanna be the reason you're distracted", he flashed her a smile when he saw her look up at him and nod her head.

She pulled away from him, quietly and nervously undoing and then redoing his tie. Her fingers trembled, but he noticed her breathing had began to slow down.

"You know, I never really learned how to tie a tie. Amelia usually does it for me. She did it a little too tight this morning and I tried to loosen it up. Apparently, I can't untie a tie either", he said to her as she pulled away. "Better?", he asked, his fingers on her chin holding her face up.

"Yeah", she whispered. They stared in each other's eyes for a few moments, until a knock at his door alerted him that his coworkers were ready to begin.

"Let's knock em dead!"

* * *

After nearly two hours of Fitz gloating about and discussing Olivia's clear talent, the magazine employees collectively came to the agreement of having her studio featured. Jake also spoke up in the meeting, suggesting that they place her on the cover, after he had done some research of her on his own and realized that she had a big impact in the community.

They scheduled the interview and photo shoot for the next weekend, giving Olivia time to have her students and her staff prepared. As she sat in the room with all these people doting over her and basically worshiping her, Olivia was in complete disbelief. She had always dreamed of being in Hypetown Magazine and not only was she going to be featured in it, it was possible for her to have a cover of her own. She was especially surprised at the fact that Fitz and Jake had gone out on a limb to guarantee that she would have a spot in the magazine.  
They were complete strangers to her and still spoke so highly of her.

Everyone began to clear out of the room, sending congratulations and goodbyes in Olivia's way. Once everyone was out and Fitz received a few pats on the back, he walked over and shut the door.

"So, how are you feeling?"

"Shocked. Amazed. Grateful. Thank you so much."

"No need to thank me Olivia. You're the one with the talent", he smiled at her. "Hey, I got something for you, a 'Welcome to the team' gift", he said, reaching over his desk for an envelope.

"You shouldn't have, really, you've already done so much", she shook her head as he passed her the envelope.

"Olivia, open it..."

She sighed, taking the envelope in her hands and opening it, pulling out the contents inside. After a brief scan over the printed words, he saw her eyes light up and her mouth form in the shape of an O.

"Oh my God! You got... you... oh my God! Elle Varner! But how? These are sold out?!"

"June 2012..."

"Page 22! Oh my God! Fitz, I can't believe... you shouldn't have!"

"So, I take it that you'd like to accompany me to Lou's tonight?"

"Of course! I'd love to!"

"I'll pick you up at nine?"

* * *

Nine o'clock on the dot Olivia heard a knock at her front door. She finished applying her lipstick, touched up her hair and ran into her bedroom, grabbing her purse before hurrying to the front door. She checked the peephole and smiled to herself when she saw Fitz. She took a deep breath before opening the door.

He looked up to see an angel standing before him, dressed in a black lace cocktail dress that fit every curve; strappy black heels that had to be at least five inches in height; her hair pinned to one side, majority of it cascading down her left shoulder; silver chandelier earrings and a set of silver bangles; her lips adorned in red lipstick. An angel. He had to remind himself to breath.

"Hi Fitz", she smiled at him

"Hi Olivia".

* * *

They made their way into Lou's, a table in the VIP area reserved especially for them. They were greeted by a waitress that offered and poured them complimentary champagne before bringing out a tray with fruit hors d'oeuvres. They indulged in the fruit slices and dips, drinking their champagne and chatting as they waited for the concert to begin. After about twenty minutes, the lights dimmed and the band began to play. The audience became quiet as Elle's silhouette appeared on the stage and her voice could be heard belting out one of her songs in a cappella.

_**When I was a young girl, singing in the bathroom  
Hairbrush for the microphone  
Nothin' in the whole wide world couldn't take me out my zone**_

_**I remember clearly, when my daddy told me  
Told me that the world was mine  
And when I didn't believe, my mama told me  
"My baby, it's gon' be just fine, He's gonna work it out alright..."**_

Suddenly, the band stopped playing and lights filled the stage, Elle's full form now in view. She smiled as the crowd went wild, before extending her mic out to the audience. The track began playing as everyone began rapping along to the words.

_**E to the LL, E to the Veezy  
Fo' sheezy my neezy, did you see me on BET?**_

Fitz looked to his left, seeing Olivia singing along to the music. She had her eyes closed and a champagne flute in her left hand as she snapped her fingers with her right. She was in her own little world and he watched her in wonder. After a few moments her eyes popped open and looked at him, maybe because she felt someone's eyes on her. She smiled sheepishly and proceeded to sing along.

_**I, try to be strong, try to deny the desire I been hidin' so long  
I don't wanna play the innocent game, like I don't have animal ways  
Just like you, I wanna do somethin' we ain't supposed to  
It's hard to resist, but most of my day is spent dreamin' of your kiss**_

_**Can you imagine what would happen if we give in to this magnetic attraction?  
Baby you should know, that if I ever get you alone...**_

Olivia was in her zone. It had been a rough week and this day was just what she needed. She got her spot in the magazine and now she was sitting in VIP at a sold out Elle Varner concert. In that moment, she was very grateful for the day she met Fitz. He was honestly a gentlemen, never showing any implications of trying to sleep with her. The man had went out on a limb and wouldn't even accept her thanks. She could see a great friendship between them, and one day, even more.

_**I swear it's a curse, 'cause I meet so many men  
And I never found the one in Miami or LA  
I don't know where they hide  
I be searchin' high and low, like it's goin' outta style**_

_**But if I just took a minute to be honest with myself  
I would find I wasn't really ready, 'cause I'm not  
I stay breakin' hearts, I could really use a minute to myself for a change**_

_**I don't wanna fall in love, I don't wanna fall in love  
Think I'm runnin' outta battery, Imma need a charger  
Right now I'm alone, right now I'm alone  
I just wanna be invisible, like a ghost in the living room**_

Fitz was completey enamored by her personality. She was sweet, with a good sense of humor, and most importantly she was very humble. She was a great dancer with lots of talent and not to mention, she was beautiful. He wanted to make her dream come true and he was glad that he had the ability to do so. The concert tickets were just something spontaneous after hearing her disappointment when talking to her friends. And she never failed to say thank you. He could see a great friendship between them, and one day, even more.

The lights began to dim once again and the music went from loud and upbeat to slow and mellow. Elle took a seat on a bar stool, using a towel to dab the sweat from her forehead as she took a sip of water.

"I wanna thank all of you for coming out tonight and for buying your tickets and making this another sold out show. I love you all so so much! I remember before I got my big break, I was literally a girl just singing in the bathroom with a hairbrush as a microphone", she and the crowd laughed,  
"And never in a million years did I think I'd be where I am today. I just want to let you all know that I appreciate you so very much and no matter what anyone says, DON'T GIVE UP!"

The audience began clapping and applauding.

"Now, it's getting really late and I know Lou is about to kick me off of his stage soon, so we're gonna do one more song before we call it a night. I want everyone on their feet! Grab your partner and if you came here alone, meet a stranger!"

The music began to play and Olivia nearly sprung out of her seat. "Oh my gosh, I love this song! Dance with me Fitz...", she batted her eyelashes and he chuckled before raising out of his seat, following her to the dance floor.

_**I'm starin' at him, but I forget to pick my face up off of the floor  
We're in a crowd, but it feels like we're alone**_

_**Oh my God, he just looked at me  
And I just wanna tell him somethin' that he's never heard  
But my lips won't let me tell him, tell him  
I would say this, but...**_

_**Maybe, maybe in another life  
I could be the girl who walks up to the guy  
And tells him, tells him how she feels inside  
But not tonight, no not tonight**_

Olivia looked up to see his piercing blue eyes staring at her. They seemed to take on a different shade in the darkness; a deeper, richer blue that favored oceanic waters. They bore a hole straight through her soul and she was completely lost in them. He looked down to capture her beautiful dark brown eyes staring into his. They took on a shade of a rich, chocolate brown and they melted his insides. A small smirk came across his face when he noticed she was looking at him the same way he was looking at her.

"What?", he asked her and he could see her momentarily tense up before relaxing.

"Your eyes. They're so... so beautiful.", she answered him, suddenly feeling like such a dork. "I mean... I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said that..."

She was nervous again. It was cute. He wanted to save her before she made herself feel more embarrassed. "It's okay", he chuckled, "You're beautiful too." She blushed, looking away from him. Suddenly, he felt nervous. _"Maybe I shouldn't have said that..."_

"Thank you", she said softly, smiling at him. He returned the smile as they continued dancing together.

_**What if he walks toward me, while all the blood is rushin' right to my brain?  
What am I gonna say? What am I gonna say?  
I may stop breathin' and freeze 'cause that's the story of my life**_

_**Wouldn't it be crazy, if he felt how I felt  
Overwhelmed and terrified?  
But he took my hand and he took his chance  
"Can I have this dance?"  
If only we were in a Cinderella story**_

_**Maybe, maybe in another life  
I could be the girl who walks up to the guy  
And tells him, tells him how she feels inside  
But not tonight, tonight**_

She wasn't sure if it was his muscular build, his thick arms, his soft hands. Or maybe it was his deep, baritone voice, the sweetness and sincerity of his words, or how he looked at her like she was the most beautiful girl in the world. She had only met this man exactly one week ago and something about him made her feel so comfortable, so safe, so secure.

She leaned in closer, resting her head on his chest. She inhaled the smell of his cologne, smiling to herself as she felt his arms move in tighter around her waist, him pulling her body closer to his. Their hips met and he moved his hands to softly grip at her sides. They simultaneously took a deep breath, inhaling and exhaling, both relaxing as their hearts began beating in sync.

_**Who would I be to make my feelings known?  
I need a little audacity, but it's not in my bones  
I'm standing here, terrified, brokenhearted, I could die**_

_**I'm staring at him, but I forget to pick my face up off the floor  
I feel like a fool and you know I do  
I only wanna tell him that I love him more,  
more**_

_**Maybe, maybe in another life  
I will be the girl who walks up to the guy  
And says, "Hey, my name is Elle and I think you're kinda fly"  
But not tonight, not tonight, tonight**_

_**Maybe, maybe in another life  
I would be the girl who walks up to the guy  
And tells him, tells him how she feels inside  
But not tonight, not tonight**_

_**Maybe, maybe, maybe**_

* * *

**AN: So this chapter was definitely longer than usually. It's actually two chapters in one, the ending was originally supposed to be apart of the chapter when the group went to Lou's. BUT, I wanted Fitz and Olivia to have some Olitz time, which brought about the idea of the Elle Varner concert.**

**So, just a quick recap: Fitz and Olivia met with the top people in the magazine and it was determined that Olivia'a studio will be featured and possibly be put on the cover (thanks to a little help from Jake). How cute was Olivia obsessing over Fitz's tie and the fact that Amelia ties it for him? How are you all liking Amelia? I'm not sure if we will be seeing that much more of her or not.**

**So, one thing I'd like to clear up is the issues with leaving reviews. A few of you have PMed me saying that you were unable to leave a review because you had already done so. If you were following this story when I first posted it, early November, there was a chapter with a link for a survey that I needed people to fill out for a research paper that I was working on. Well, I deleted that chapter about a week ago, because I closed to survey after turning in my paper. What I did not realize was 1) you can't review a chapter more than once 2) that deleting the chapter did not delete the reviews associated with it, but instead kind of divided it between the chapter before and after the chapter deleted 3) that some of the divided reviews counted as a review for the chapter, so you might have been unable to leave a review. (I'm not sure if you all understood that lol). Anywho, if my predictions are right, that mess should be cleared up as of this chapter, so you should all be able to review with no issue. Also, I would like to thank those of you who did fill out the survey. Because of you, I was able to score a 90% on my paper, an over B+ in the class (technically, a 89.71, i was off of an A- by just a itty bitty amount of points), but I still did well nonetheless, so thank you all so much!**

**Thank you all for your reviews, comments, and suggestions! Hello to all my new followers and to my old ones, I hope you all are still with me, I know you all are looking forward to some sexy Olitz time and I promise it's coming soon!**

**The songs performed by Elle Varner (in order) were:**

**_EV (Conversational Lust mixtape)_**

**_Sound Proof Room (Perfectly Imperfect album)_**

**_Ghosts (Conversational Lust mixtape)_**

**_Not Tonight (Perfectly Imperfect album)_**

**Those of you who've never heard of/listened to her, please please please do! She has such an amazing voice and her music is everything, seriously repeat worthy. Even if you're not a fan of R&B or her "Refill" single, I'm sure she has at least one song you can relate to. She's working on a new single/album now and I canNOT wait! She should be paying me for all this free promo lol!**


	10. The Interview

"Oh fuck! Don't stop!"

"You like that?"

"Shit, please don't stop!"

"You feel so good baby, so damn good"

"Right there... just... ohhhh!"

"Yeah, that's right baby. Come for me. Come all over thi-"

"FUCKKK!"

Their moans and grunts fill the room as her legs wrap tighter around his waist, trying to hold him in place. He flips them over, him on his back while she lays on his chest. His lips linger on her neck, his tongue tracing along her skin.

"What are you doing?", she giggles.

"What does it look like?", his words muffled.

"We can't..."

"And why not?"

"Because..."

"Because what?", his hand caressing her lower back.

"Because we're gonna be late."

"Let's be late..."

"No! Liv would kill me! I'm already breaking the 'no sex before a performance' rule"

"Dumb rule"

She smiled, placing a kiss on his lips before gathering the sheet around her body, climbing off of him and on to the floor.

"Wanna join me in the shower?"

"You don't even have to ask"

* * *

An hour and a half later, Abby strolled into the dance studio. She hadn't made it far before Nichelle popped out from nowhere, frightening her.

"Shit, Nich, you seriously almost killed me."

"Oh trust me, I'm not the one you should be worried about. You're late!"

"I know..."

"And you look thoroughly fucked. You broke the rule, you know Liv is gonna kill you, right?"

"Dumb rule. Why do we even have that rule?"

"Because! You get you some good good and stroll in late, with love marks and those eyes lit up like the sky. You're so focused on sex, you fuck up the performance and you will NOT fuck it up today Abigail!"

"I got it, I got it! Sheesh! Where's Liv?"

"In hair and makeup, where you should have been forty-five minutes ago!"

* * *

Abby walks into the back dressing area, making her way through the unexpected crowd of hair and makeup people employed by Hypetown. After exchanging fake "Good Morning!" and "Hello!" to nearly fifty strange faces, Abby finally found Olivia, who was seated in a chair with three women working on her appearance.

She opened her mouth to say one more "Good morning", when Olivia cut her off.

"You're late"

"I'm sorry"

"And you broke my rule"

"How'd you...", her cheeks flushed pink.

"Abby, say hi to Tammy", Olivia referred to the woman who was dipping a brush into a little container before dabbing the red lipstick softly on Olivia's bottom lip.

"Hi Tammy", Abby turned to the woman, who returned her greeting with a smile.

"Everyone agrees that Tammy is the best artist out of the bunch and she was specifically reserved for you, Nichelle, and I. Tammy, when you have the chance to get to Abby this morning, please make sure those faint bite marks she tried to cover with concealer are properly hidden from the bright camera lights..."

"Will do, Ms. Pope"

"Tammy, please, it's just Olivia. Abby, grab a chair. They'll be finished with me soon". Abby nodded quietly, sinking herself into seat next to Olivia.

* * *

"Hey ladies, have you seen Olivia?", a crew member who was obviously overwhelmed by the madness but was still trying to keep his composure asked Nichelle and Abby.

"She's putting the finishing touches on her outfit", Nichelle answered as Abby nodded, sipping her coffee carefully, trying not to ruin her makeup.

"I'm right here!", Olivia said, walking from the dressing room.

"Olivia, you ladies look fantastic! We've got the interview set up, cameras start rolling in a few minutes, okay?" The women nodded, making their way over to the mini dance room, where the interview was being held. After they were seated and instructed on posture and which way to keep their bodies turned so they were visible for the camera, the interview began.

**Interviewer:** Hello Hypetown Hypees! It's Michael Carter and I'm here with the lovely ladies of the dance studio, "The O&C". Good morning ladies! Please, introduce yourselves.

**Olivia:** Hey everyone, I'm Olivia…

**Abby:** I'm Abby…

**Nichelle:** and I'm Nichelle!

**In unison:** Good Morning Hypees!

_The women all smile, waving to the cameras_

**Michael:** Great, now that we've got the intro out of the way, how about we give a little insight on what you ladies call, "The O&C". Olivia here is the founder. Please, tell us more about what you ladies do here.

**Olivia:** Well, when I first came up with the idea of The O&C, it was supposed to be just a small dance studio. I wanted something where I could come and hang out with my friends and we could dance all day long. We're a dancing family.

_She smiled, looking over at Nichelle and Abby._

**Olivia:** I've always wanted to be a dancer, whether it was background or choreography. We would have the music playing loud and people would walk by and see us dancing and started coming in to dance too. Eventually, we decided we would just turn it into a dance studio for the public. We split up and decided to teach our classes based on our skills.

**Michael:** And what classes do you guys offer?

_Olivia looks over at Abby, signaling for her to answer the question first._

**Abby:** Well, we're all responsible for two class. I teach Pop and Latin…

**Nichelle:** I teach Pole and Stiletto dancing

**Olivia:** I run a fitness camp, one for men and one for women.

**Nichelle:** and together, we run the R&B and Hip Hop class, as well as a Teen Camp in the summer.

**Michael:** That's a lot! How do you guys make sure everything runs smoothly?

**Abby:** Well, we have three dance rooms; the main one, which is huge and where we will be performing today. Then, we have two mini rooms and we're sitting in one of the mini rooms right now.

**Nichelle:** Abby's classes are in this mini room. Mine are held in the other mini room, where we have the poles put up.

**Olivia:** And my fitness classes are held in the main dance room, simply because it gives everyone enough space to move around. We also hold the R&B and Hip Hop classes, as well as the Teen Camp in the main room because of such a huge turn out.

**Michael:** Is there a dancing schedule? How do you guys know what you want to teach? Or is everything at random?

**In unison:** The Box!

_He's a bit startled at all of them answering at once. He looks at them, a bit confused, before he continues._

**Michael:** The Box?

**Olivia:** Yes! The Box was Quinn's idea. Quinn honey, come over here!

_She calls out the Quinn, who was nearby watching the interview. Nervously, Quinn walks over to the girls, and a crew member hurriedly rushes in, placing a chair for her to sit down._

**Abby:** Quinnie! Say hi!

**Quinn:** Hi everyone, I'm Quinn!

**Nichelle:** We love Quinn!

_The girls giggle and Quinn smiles, her cheeks a bright pink from the spotlight suddenly being placed on her._

**Michael:** Hello Quinn. What is it that you do here at The O&C?

**Quinn:** Umm.. well… I'm a receptionist. I really don't do much

_She laughs nervously._

**Olivia:** She's being modest you guys. Quinn is the reason why the whole operation runs smoothly. She came in as a student looking for an interning position about two years ago. She helps with everything: from the paperwork for new members, to setting our calenders. She's a HUGE help!

**Abby:** And she came up with The Box! Go ahead Quinn, tell them what The Box is..

**Quinn:** Well, The Box is a suggestion box. There's one for each dance group. Anyone can drop a slip of paper with a suggestion in the box and each month we pull and we agree on if that's the month's focus or not.

**Michael:** And what are you guys working on this month?

**Nichelle:** Twerking. Suggested by Quinn.

**Michael:** I'd love to see that in action!

_The five of them laugh at Michael's comment._

**Michael:** Now, here's a question that I've been DYING to ask. Where in the world did the name The O&C come from?

_The women all turn their attention to Olivia, who begins smiling._

**Olivia:** It actually stands for The Oliver & Company.

**Michael:** Is Oliver your father's name?

**Olivia:** I get that all the time. Surprisingly, no. It was named after Olivier & Company, one of my favorite movies growing up. It's also a play on my name. Olivia & Company would have sounded like I ran the whole show, which I don't. These three women here are my gladiators, we dominate this together. Without them, I'd be nothing. I couldn't take all the praise for myself. And of course, where would I be without the people who come in and let us bestow our gifts unto them?

**Michael:** Great answer. So, here's a game we like to play. Well, it's not a real game, but it's just a little something something we like to do, just to get a feel of those we interview. Basically, I want each of you to name a strength of each other.

_The girls all nod their heads._

**Michael:** Good, how about we start with Quinn here.

**Abby:** Quinn's super smart. Our little brainiac.

**Nichelle:** So sweet, so kind...

**Olivia:** Beautiful person, inside and out...

**Michael:** Now, Nichelle...

**Abby:** Nich is a lot of fun to be around!

**Quinn:** She's really outspoken...

**Olivia:** Nich takes nonsense from no one. Fearless.

**Michael:** Abby?

**Quinn:** She very dedicated..

**Nichelle:** And devoted!

**Olivia:** And she's very loyal

**Michael:** And last but not least, Olivia..

**Quinn:** So talented, oh so talented.

**Nichelle:** Liv is very generous...

**Abby:** Such a humble person...

**Michael:** You all have some nice things to say about each other. It's really nice to see how well you all get along.

**Quinn:** Being around these girls day in and day out, we were bound to have some sort of bond.

**Nichelle:** Definitely. Abby, Olivia, and I have known each other forever, and Quinn fit right in with us.

**Abby:** These girls are like my sisters.

_She winks to them, and they all giggle._

**Olivia:** We're a family. Genetics couldn't make us any closer.

**Michael:** Well ladies of The O&C, it was great to meet all of you. Thank you for sharing yourself with us and our fans.

**Olivia:** No Michael, thank you. Thank you so much for letting us share.

**In unison:** Bye Hypees!

* * *

**AN: I know, I promised more frequent updates, but I've been super busy with all the Christmas shopping and what not. I'm so glad Christmas is finally over lol. AND I got the gift I truly wanted! I hope everyone who celebrates Christmas had a good one this year, and a Happy Holidays to the rest of you all! So, this chapter was no Olitz, and I know you guys might be a bit upset, but again, I found a chapter getting too long with no good flow, so I had to cut it short. This totally means that a new update will be coming much quicker lol. Anywho, I hope you've all enjoyed this one!  
**


	11. The Performance

The cameras cut, the bright lights dim and the crew quickly starts moving to the next phase of the day's events. The women sit around, chit chatting while they give themselves some time to relax before they're rushed to do something else. After a few minutes, they are approached by another crew member, letting them know that it would soon be time for them to head into the main dance room to perform.

"Alright, so just a reminder, we'll be going through the routine three times, just to make sure the camera angles, lighting, and everything comes out great. I know that it might get tiring, but to make sure that we have the perfect footage, we need you guys to stay focused. Olivia, whenever you guys are ready…"

"Okay ladies! You've got this! We've all done this routine a million times, plus all the extra practice this week. Three more times is NOT going to kill us. Let's show these motherfuckers how it gets done around here!

The room applauds and the dancers get themselves into position. The cameramen recheck their lenses, the lights in the room are readjusted, and someone in tech room cues the music.

Fitz walks into the room, hearing the end of Olivia's speech to her students. He smiles to himself as he sees her encouraging and laughing with everyone quickly before the performance begins. Although he missed the initial interview earlier, he's glad he and Jake were able to make it out of their early morning meetings in time to catch the first run of the performance. He finds his spot where he can see a clear view of Olivia, but also where he's out of her sight, therefore not distracting her. Suddenly, the music cuts on and the performance begins.

**_You lookin' just a little too hard at me, standin' just a little too close to me_**

**_You sayin' not quite enough to me, you sippin' just a little too slow for me_**

**_No doubt, you playin' real cool homie, got me thinkin' what is it you do for me_**

**_Trippin' a litte more than I should be, so let yourself go and get right with me_**

Olivia immediately gets into her zone, ignoring the audience, the cameras, and the crew members. She stares directly ahead, a smile on her face as she steps into another world, fully focused on her routine.

Fitz watches her like a hawk. She's the shortest of the group, and surprisingly enough, she holds all of the attention. He admires everything about her, from the way she seems to get lost in the music, to the way she shouts out words of encouragement for her group. He's especially entranced by her curvaceous frame, grateful that they chose a feminine, but "thuggish" appeal for their performance. They all wore black spaghetti strap bodysuits, high-waisted ripped denim shorts, black knee high socks, red low-top Converse, and a red beanie. They all had different hairstyles; Olivia's usually wild and crazy curls tamed with a curling wand and framing her face. Whatever products they used gave her plenty of shine and volume, but also helped her hair stay in place as she danced around.

**_I'm about to sign you up, we can get right before the night is up_**

**_We can get right, we can get right, we can get right_**

**_I'm about to fill your cup, we can get right before night is up_**

**_We can get right, tonight, we can get right_**

Nichelle is in her "happy place". Her hips swirl, her booty pops, and her footwork is damn near perfect as she dances to one of her favorite songs. She knows this routine like the back of her hand, having done it millions of times. It was the stationary routine. It was always either used for warming up, or the first song taught to the R&B, Hip Hop, and Teen Camp classes. The song came out when she, Olivia, and Abby were young teenagers, who had just started getting serious on the dancing scene. In fact, it was the first routine they had successfully put together. She felt proud and confident as she thought about where they were when they first danced this song, in front of an audience at the local skating ring, to now be performing on camera. A smirk of achievement ran across her face and it turned into a huge, bright smile when she noticed Michael staring and smiling at her. _"Is this fool checkin' me out?"_

**_Your lips talkin' bout I play too much_**

**_Can't a woman take advantage of what she wants?_**

**_My hips movin' oh so slow, bar tab lookin' like a car note_**

**_All I need is you here right by my side_**

**_Take whatever you want, baby let's ride_**

**_And whatever you won't do, let me decide_**

**_Just put your name on the dotted line_**

Abby mentally cheers herself on, careful not to mess up on the part she always seemed to have trouble with. She's staring ahead, quickly glancing over at Olivia. _"There she goes, in her zone again"_, she thinks to herself, smiling as she thinks about her friend. Her attention suddenly moves elsewhere when she hears a woman giggling, looking up to see Jake seeming awfully cozy with some tall, leggy blonde. _"What the fuck!"_, she says to her head, the smile she had just moments ago fading into an angry frown. _"Who the hell is this bitch?!"_ She feels herself getting into a bit of rage as she continues staring at Jake and this woman, who have no idea that their being stared at. _"I can't BELIEVE I actually fucked this asshole last night and he's in here giggling with some other female!"_ She lets out a low huff, which is heard by Olivia and Nichelle.

_**So much we've got to say, but so little time**_

_**And if tonight ain't long enough, don't leave love behind**_

_**Baby take my hand, I'll show you why**_

_"Ohhh who is this girl all over Jake?"_, Nichelle smirks as she notices Abby's face turning a bright red. _"This is why Olivia always says to never hunch the night before. Poor baby.."_, she shakes her head, continuing to dance.

_"What the hell is she so mad at?"_, Olivia thinks to herself, following Abby's line of vision, where she sees Jake laughing with a blonde. _"Ohhh"_, she chuckles to herself. _"This is why I put that damn rule in place. She better not fuck up this performance with that shit"_. The song ends and the audience claps. _"Wait, if Jake is here, then that means…"_

"Ladies, please do not move from your positions. We're giving you guys a few minutes break while the hair and makeup ladies run through to fix any touch ups, as needed. After this is done, we will immediately jump back into the routine again".

Abby, Nichelle, and Olivia are tended to first, being at the front of the group. Olivia's eyes scan the room, trying to discreetly find Fitz in the audience. _"He said he was coming after his meetings. If Jake is here, he should be here too, right? I mean, he would show up today, wouldn't he?"_

Nichelle looks past Olivia, chuckling at Abby, who's standing with her arms crossed as Tammy applies a fresh layer of her lipstick. "Seems like Jake got him some new new. AND he brought her front row. Sheesh Abby, and to think you broke Liv's rule to give him some, what a douche!"

Abby slowly turns her head in Nichelle's direction. "Oh yeah? You think it's funny? How about you shut the hell up! Yeah, I broke the rule, but at least I got me some last night. You, on the other hand, haven't gotten laid in what, forever?"

Nichelle stands there with a look of shock on her face, nearly ready to pounce on Abby, as a hair artist runs a comb through her ponytail. "Oh bitch, you're so lucky we're at where we're at right now!"

Olivia immediately snaps out of it after hearing the numerous expletives being thrown back and forth over her. "Abby, this is exactly why I have the rule. You better not let Jake distract you and have you mess up this performance. Nichelle, stop taunting her and maybe she won't respond back. You two better calm the hell down, that's all I know!" They stand there silently as a crew member lets everyone know that the song is starting up again.

* * *

The group runs through the routine the last two times, getting a huge round of applause from everyone once the song ends for the third time. Crew members rush in, providing each of the dancers with their own ice cold water bottle, decorated with the Hypetown logo. The sounds of everyone chattering and congratulating one another could be heard around the room.

Fitz watched Olivia smiling with everyone that came up to speak with her. She exchanged hugs and handshakes, her eyes glancing around the room. _"Is she looking for me?"_, he smiled to himself as he slowly made his way towards her. With her back towards him, she didn't notice him until she felt a tap on her shoulders. She stopped mid-conversation to turn around, surprised to see him standing before her, with a huge bouquet of roses.

"Hi beautiful", he flashed that amazing smile and she felt her knees go weak.

"Hi", she said, barely above a whisper. "You came", she tried not to sound too excited.

"I did. You guys did great, as usual. I'm so proud of you."

"Thank you", she blushed as he placed the flowers in her hand, pulling her in for a brief side hug. Their moment was interrupted by the anger in Abby's voice.

"How dare you! After last night! After this morning! I can't believe you!", Abby pokes him in his chest while he tries to move in closer to her.

"Ouch! Abby, what the hell! Seriously, you need to chill out!", Jake moves away from Abby.

"Chill out? CHILL OUT?! Have you lost your damn mind!"

"It's not what you think Abby. Please, just hear me out.."

"Hear you out?! Screw you Jacob!"

Abby continues scolding Jake, and while the blonde stands by nervously, Fitz and Olivia observe across the room.

"Does she know that's..."

"Nope", Olivia cuts him off.

"Are you gonna stop her?", he asks, his voice filled with concerned for his friend being attacked for no reason.

"Nope. It'll teach her a lesson".

"Liv", he chuckles, pulling her closer into him with his arm still around her shoulder. "I think we should held over there before this gets nasty..."

"I guess...", she sighs, knowing that she needs to stop the situation.

They begin walking across the room, approaching Abby, who's clearly fuming. Nichelle, who was engaged in conversation with Michael, notices all of the commotion and excuses herself to head over to the group.

"You have some nerve to bring this fu-"

"Amelia!" Olivia says with enthusiasm, swooping in past Abby and Jake, cutting them off as she pulls the blonde into a hug. "It's so good to see you! Thank you for coming!"

Anger and confusion is written across Abby's face as she sees her best friend hugging the woman that was giggling up with her man. "Liv, you know this woman?"

"Of course I do, Abby, this Amelia. Amelia, please excuse my friend Abigail for her behavior.."

"Who the hell is Amelia?", Nichelle asks, finally catching up to the group.

"Amelia is my secretary", Fitz answers, trying to hide the smirk forming on his face.

"Your secretary?", Abby turns in Fitz direction, completely embarrassed.

"Yes, Fitz's secretary. Our trusted friend for years", Jake answers.

"Oh my God! I'm so sorry! I don't even know what to say.."

"Well, apparently you've said enough!", Jake storms off in the direction of the door, Abby following after him, calling for his attention.

* * *

"Hi Fitz!", Nichelle says in a sing-songy voice.

"Hi Nichelle", he responds, flashing his signature smile.

She blushes, before turning her attention to Olivia. "Liv, did you know that Abby was fuming over Fitz's secretary the whole time?"

"Serves her right. She won't break my rule again", she answers nonchalantly.

"You're so cut throat! Excuse me guys, my attention is needed elsewhere", she glances over at Michael, winking in his direction. Fitz laughs and Olivia rolls her eyes as Nichelle walks away from them.

"You missed the interview"

"I did. I'm sorry. I tried to get here as soon as I could."

"Yeah yeah!", she answers sarcastically.

"Let me make it up to you.."

"And how are you gonna do that?"

"I know you guys must be starving. I've got some pizzas and drinks on the way. How does that sound?"

"Sounds good for them, but what about me?"

"I'm sure we can think of something..."


	12. The Push

**AN: Sorry that it took so long to get this update to you guys, but 1) I was still enjoying the rest of my break, 2) it's the first week of school again (which is always crazy and hectic. I'm finally getting back into the groove of having to wake up early again and having to go back to work, PLUS it was freezing this week and our school football team won the national championship, so there's been a whole lot of celebrating! and 3) FF has been acting crazy! I've had this update in Doc Manager for over a week and I haven't been able to upload it because I couldn't even get on to my actual account. I kept getting a stupid error page, which was driving me insane!**

**So, this chapter is just a little bit of filler, something cute until we get into the real stuff. I forgot to mention last chapter that the song they performed to was _"Get Right" by Jennifer Lopez_, for those of you who didn't know already. I'm a huge fan, simply because she comes out with the GREATEST dance videos. I used to stand in front of the tv whenever the video came on and did the routines with an umbrella! lol! I would really love more song suggestions from you guys for further chapters.**

**And I would love to give a great big shoutout to TVIsForever! Thanks everyone for all the comments, suggestions, and reviews and a HELLO to all the new comers! And for those of you who read it, I'm still working on the update for Rescue Me, so it will be up soon!**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

**_A Few Weeks Late_****_r_**

The girls, with the exception of Quinn, all sat around Abby and Olivia's living room. They had plans to fly out and visit Cyrus and James the next day for the Thanksgiving holiday. They decided to have a girls' night, drinking, eating and playing games to spend some quality time together after a busy month and a half at the studio.

Since talk of Oliver & Company being featured in Hypetown Magazine spread like a wildfire, a huge influx of new students came in. There was crazy paperwork, numerous orientations and old routines were being retaught while the new ones had to be created. Thankfully, the studio would be shut down for the week. Nichelle and Abby were going to fly out in the morning, while Olivia planned to stay in New York another day to sort through all of the paperwork and prepare for their return after the break.

"Pour me another glass please!", Abby leaned over, holding her glass out to Nichelle, who was cradling a bottle of wine in her lap.

"Okay, I got a good one!", Nichelle exclaimed, eager to continue the game. "Never have I ever had sex in a public place."

Nichelle and Abby giggled, immediately taking sips of their drinks as Olivia sat in the chair, clearly frustrated.

"I don't know why you guys always suck me into this game and you two always end up drunk while I sit here bored and sober."

"Oh come on Liv! You've taken like three sips. We haven't played in like a year and obviously much hasn't changed", Nichelle said, reaching for a slice of pizza.

"Sorry, I'm not the most experienced", Olivia rolled her eyes, reaching for a slice for herself.

"Okay, I've got one we can all drink to. Never have I ever had an orgasm!"

"Too easy!", Nichelle drank first, Abby following shortly after. They both turned their direction to Olivia, who hadn't budged.

"Olivia, you've never had an orgasm?!", Abby screeched out.

"Well damn Abby, do you have to notify the whole state?"

"No way in hell! I knew Edison wasn't shit but he never made you come either?! Jesus..", Nichelle butt in.

"I mean, we've had sex and all. It would be okay. He finished and that was it. I thought that was normal?"

"It's normal when the dick is selfish!"

"Nichelle, what on earth is 'selfish dick'?", Abby laughed, using her fingers to make air quotes.

"When he screws you, gets his rocks off, and that's it. What about you? If he doesn't care about your needs, then he's selfish and so is his dick!"

The girls all sat around in the living room, laughing hysterically at Nichelle obvious disgust in the topic at hand.

"Welp, thank God Jake and I don't have that issue!"

"Oh gross! Abby, no one wants to know about your bedroom antics!"

"Speak for yourself Liv. Abbz, spill the tea!", Nichelle leaned in, ready to hear more.

"Jake is honestly the best sex I've had. And I've had enough trial and error to know that I've found perfection.", Abby said, a smirk on her face as she grabbed a wing from the box on the coffee table.

"What's he working with?"

"Nich, seriously?"

"Yes seriously! Abby, don't pay Olivia any mind!"

"Beer bottle", Abby flashed a devilish grin.

"Length or width-wise?"

"A bit of both. Long, not too thick but not too skinny"

"My damn!", Nichelle yelped out, fake fainting back unto the couch cushion. "No wonder you were trippin'!"

"And we gladly made up... with his beer bottle."

"Oh gosh, please, keep the game going!"

"Alright alright! Never have I ever had any anal play. We already know Olivia's not gonna drink".

Abby looked at her girls for a quick second before slowly raising her glass to her lips.

"Oh hell no!", Nichelle and Olivia yelled out the same time.

"What?! We haven't done it all the way, but there's been a little tongue and finger action..."

"Right on Abby!", Nichelle gave her friend a high five.

"You guys are ridiculous!", Olivia shook her head, drinking from her glass of soda.

"Look, I don't have time to act cute in the bedroom. Behind closed doors with my man, I'm gonna do what I want! Sex is supposed to be a learning experience, where you're constantly trying new things to satisfy yourself and your partner. We haven't done THAT yet, but we've discussed it and we're thinking about trying it. I trust him and that's important. If we can't trust each other in sex, it's not going to be enjoyable at all."

"That's right Abby, lady in the streets but a freak in the sheets! When I put this thang on Michael, he's never gonna know what hit him!"

"Oh dear..."

"Oh dear nothing. Speaking of which, when are and Fitz gonna do the do?"

"There will be no doing of the do. Fitz and I are just friends"

"Mhm!" Abby and Nichelle say at the same time.

"Fitz is really nice Liv. He's kind and he doesn't seem like the pushy type", Abby smiled at her friend, "And Jake speaks highly of him. Maybe you guys just need a little push..."

"Besides that, he looks like a GOD! His hair, those eyes! And he has that 'unselfish dick' walk!"

"I'm afraid to even ask what that is", Olivia laughed.

"He walks like he's carrying a big stick and a huge pair of balls to match. They just swing away, gently slapping his thighs with each step."

"What a visual!"

"The man has swag honey and any man with that kind of swag can surely lay the pipe! If you don't mount him soon, you can pass him to me and I'll give it a chance if I ever get bored of Michael."

"Oh my gosh, I really can't deal with you two!"

"Liv, I think you should try with Fitz. I mean, what do you have to lose? Besides, your ex was Edison for crying out loud! Who wants to bask in that memory forever?"

"Yeah, especially since he clearly didn't know what he was doing between the sheets.."

"Why do these girls' nights always end up in conversation about sex? More importantly, my sex life?"

"Well, clearly you have none!"

"Screw you Nichelle!", she leaned in to pinch her.

The girls laughed and joked around, deciding to call quits on the game. They ate more pizza and wings, catching up on the latest gossip and discussing plans for the studio. At around 3:00am, they girls all decided to clean up and turn in for bed.

* * *

"I don't understand how you two feel comfortable being here while you basically have girlfriends...", Fitz shook his head, gulping down his drink.

"Well, Nichelle and I aren't necessarily together. We're just having fun right now, getting to know one another..."

"Yeah, and Abby and I are together, but we have an understanding..."

"Oh yeah? And what might that be?", Michael asked sarcastically.

"She understands that just like she can have her little girls' night, more than likely drinking and talking about how much men suck, I can have a guys' night, drinking and watching strippers do what they do best.."

"Yeah, and he can't fuck any of them unless he wants a scene like a few weeks ago!", Michael and Fitz clinked their beer bottles, laughing as Jake rolled his eyes.

"Screw you both! I wouldn't even joke around Mike, because Nichelle looks like she has that ass in check! Whether y'all are 'just having fun' or not!", he fired back.

"Oh shut up! Enough about us, Fitz, what's up with you and Olivia? You hittin' that?"

"We're just friends..", he answers, taking another sip of his drink. Michael and Jake pass a look towards one another before

bursting out it laughter.

"What? A man and a woman can't be friends without sleeping together?", he asked in all seriousness.

"Sure, if one of yall are gay!", Jake answers, causing he and Michael to laugh again.

"You guys are so childish sometimes..", Fitz chuckled at the joke.

"Seriously Fitz, she's a good catch. Has her own profession, her own money, doesn't seem like the crazy type...", Jake began, before being cut off by Michael.

"Yeah, and she's BAD! She's so fine and have you seen that ASS?! I know you've

seen it Fitz, you're an ass man. You've had to have seen it!"

Fitz shook his head at his friends. He was never the type to objectify women; he was raised to be respectable. He'd had a few one night stands here and there, but he never made a habit of it, and he had slept with girlfriends, but had cut off sexual relations whenever they had broken up. He was never a fan of money hungry airheads or spoiled "Daddy's princess" girls. He appreciated a smart, simple, down to earth and easy to please women. Beauty was always a plus. Olivia had definitely fit the description and he had to admit, he was interested in her. But, he was more interested in getting to know her. He most definitely wasn't interested in Michael talking about her ass, no matter how many times he had caught himself transfixed by it.

"We're cool, we're friends. She's nice. I wouldn't mind dating her, but I'm definitely not trying to be "hittin' that"."

"Give her a try Fitz. Abby says she's a little shy, that she needs a little push. Be that push. She's definitely a catch and I'd hate to see you old and gray while me and Mikey here are young and fresh!"

"Yeah Fitz. I mean, hell, if you won't hit it, I gladly will after I get bored with Nichelle..."

"You guys are something else!"

The three men laughed continuing their conversation as they were approached by a waitress. She brought them another bottle, filling their glasses and taking their orders for food and snacks. A few minutes after she had departed their table, one of the strippers walked over to them.

"Hey guys", she said in a low voice, walking over to them seductively, "You guys don't look like anyone has paid any attention to you all night..."

"Nope, no one hasn't..", Michael answered and the three men all cocked their heads to the side when she bent over in front of them, giving them all a free show.

"Damn!", they all said in unison, before she stood up and smiled, walking over to Jake, whispering in his ear.

"Well, why don't I take care of you?"

Jake shifted in his seat, clearly turned on by the naked woman in front of him, before he caught himself. "Sorry, I'm already spoken for."

She frowned, looking over to Michael, who stuttered, "Yeah, yeah me too. But, umm.. our buddy Fitz here is free."

She walked over to Fitz, straddling his lap, wrapping his black silk tie around her wrist, pulling him closer to her. "Well, since these two are unavailable, how about I take care of you, sexy?", she purred in his ear, running her tongue against his lobe.

Fitz cleared his throat, leaning in and brushing his lips against her neck before he whispered, "Sorry sweetie, not tonight." She pushed back, a look of anger clearly visible on her face as she rose from his lap, walking away from the three men.

"Gosh Fitz, what a dick move!"

"Mike, seriously? What kinda guy do you think I am?", he grinned, scooting out of his chair, reaching in his pocket and laying a few $50 bills on the table.

"You out Fitz?", Jake asked and Fitz's only response was the last sip of his drink and him throwing up the peace sign before heading towards the door.


	13. The First

**_The Day After_**

Olivia turned her keys into the apartment door, closing it behind her as she threw herself on the couch. After a long night of drinking, an early morning of crazy airport traffic, and a day of staring at nothing but paperwork, she was exhausted. She wanted nothing more than to soak in a nice warm bubble bath, with music and a bottle of wine. Thankfully, she had packed all her bags last night, before the girls had their night together. She had a few things left to pack, which she planned to do before her flight the next evening. She closed her eyes, hoping to catch a few moments of rest before she had to dig through the fridge to find something to make a meal. Her eyelids barely closed before she felt a vibration on her lap.

**Fitz: _Hey..._**

Her eyes lit up when she saw his text message across her screen.

**Olivia: _Hey!_**

**Fitz:_ Are you free?_**

She had no plans for the night, but she was seriously too tired to function. But, who could turn up an opportunity to hang out with Fitz? They had spent some time together, usually on Friday nights, where she introduced him to the culture of the city. They visited restaurants, stores, and had even went to a few movies. They had plenty of conversation, getting to know one another and she really enjoyed his company.

**Olivia: _Not really._**

**Fitz:_ Have you eaten? I have dinner in the oven..._**

Having visited numerous restaurants, they had many conversations about their shared love for food, Italian being their favorite. Olivia had taken Fitz to one of her favorite Italian restaurants, and they both agreed the food was great. They even promised that they would cook for one another when they had the chance. Seeing that she had no energy took cook for herself, she decided to take him up on his offer.

**Olivia:_ No, I'm starving actually. Is that an invitation?_**

**Fitz: _I'll be outside in 20 (:_**

Olivia smiled to herself, quickly getting ready. She wanted to be cozy, but also keep herself warm in the approaching cold weather.

* * *

"Oh my goodness, I'm so stuffed! Seriously Fitz, this food was amazing!", she leaned back in the chair, rubbing her hands across her stomach.

"I'm glad you liked it", he chuckles at the display in front of him, "I told you I can make a mean lasagna, I don't know why you ever doubted me."

"I really don't know why I did either! Seriously, this tastes amazing! It might be better than the lasagna at Gustavo's. Maybe you should switch careers!", she smirked as she joked with him.

They both laughed before starting a conversation about their busy week. Olivia discussed the craziness of the studio and Fitz spoke about how everyone at the magazine was working hard to branch out from the main headquarters.

"Hey, come here. I wanna show you something..", he stood up, reaching for her hand as he led them to his living room.

"Seriously, this is the most beautiful view ever!", she exclaimed as they walked by the huge window in the living room.

"I beg to differ", he smiled at her, causing her to blush. He led them over to the couch, where they both sat down. He reached over to the coffee table, grabbing one of the remotes and after pressing a few buttons, a video began playing on the television.

"Hi Hypees!", Abby, Nichelle, and Olivia's faces filled the screen and Olivia turned to him.

"Is this..."

"The edited version, yes. We've got the interview, the performance, as well as some

promo vids the guys put together. I figured you'd like to see it..."

Olivia's eyes stayed glued to the television. She watched as her dream came to life in front of her. It was official. She saw herself smiling and laughing with her friends and how she danced her ass off. It was an overwhelming feeling and she had to fight back her emotions, not wanting to seem like a softie in front of Fitz.

"Thank you. For showing this to me. For making this happen for me. Thank you so much."

* * *

The video finished shortly after and they decided to watch a movie. Fitz left Olivia to check out his DVD collection while he did some quick cleaning in the kitchen. She settled on The Hangover, something funny that they would both get a good laugh out of. Shortly, he returned with a huge bowl of kettle corn, a bottle of wine, and two glasses.

"They're gonna have to roll me on the plane tomorrow, I swear."

"Where are you guys going anyways?", he asked, settling everything down on the coffee table as he made his way to sit next to her on the couch. She had curled up in his blanket while waiting for him and moved closer so that he would be able to get covered as well.

"To visit our dads..."

"Your parents are good friends?", he asked, a bit confused.

"Not exactly...", she sat up, a look of sadness across her face. "James and Cyrus, our dads..."

"You guys are..."

"Adopted, yes. I was first, Abby second, and Nichelle third. Ella, our baby sister, was adopted a few months ago."

"All girls?", he asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Yep! They always wanted girls. James, was an only child and he had to see his parents suffer a miscarriage from carrying his baby sister. Cyrus grew up in a house full of six other brothers. They both always wanted little girls.."

"Wow, I never knew. I just assumed you guys were all good friends.."

"Legally, we're sisters, but blood couldn't make us any closer."

"So, what happened with your parents?", he asked and he could feel her body tense up in the seat next to him. "Hey, if you don't wanna..."

"When I was nine, my parents got murdered. We were coming back from a walk in the park and we passed by the corner store. I beg and pleaded for us to go inside. This new popsicle came out recently and all the kids that lived on my block had already tried it. We found it in the store and my mom and dad went to the register to pay for it. I went back to the freezer to grab an extra one, I figured that my parents could get one too. The door opened and I could hear yelling. Yelling turned into arguing and someone was cursing at my father. I turned to walk back to them and then I heard shots fired. As soon as I recognized the sound, I just... I just knew. The guys ran away and I walked to the front to find my mom, dad, and the cashier...", she paused briefly, before continuing. "October 1st, 1997. They didn't know I was in the store. They tried to rob the owner and my father had tried to defend them. Those cowards, they... they just started shooting. If I would have never..."

"Liv...", he pulled her to him, using his thumb to wipe away the tears running down her cheeks. "Hey, I'm sure I'm not the first person to say it, but it's not your fault..."

"I know. It's just..."

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have asked."

"It's okay Fitz", she looked up at him, wanting to let him know that she would be okay.

He looked down at her, her eyes that were usually so bright and full of life seemed so dark and saddened. His heart hurt for her and all he wanted to do was make her happy again. He didn't know if it was his guilt or the way she looked up at him, but he leaned in slowly, softly pressing his lips to hers.

They kissed for a moment. At first, he was shocked that he allowed himself to do so, especially without her permission. He was also scared that he could have possibly ruined their budding friendship.

She pulled away, staring at him with a confused look upon her face. _"Did he... did he just kiss me?_", she asked herself as she studied his face. She noticed a small look of worry, his eyes scanning her face for some sort of emotion. She smiled to herself on the inside. _"He's nervous"_. She leaned in, this time placing her lips to his.

Their kiss was sweet. They took their time, lips separating slightly to allow each others tongues inside. Little sighs of relief filled the air around them; there was no need to be rushed. She felt so small and he didn't want to let her go. He felt so warm, so protecting, and she could stay in his arms forever. He held her tighter in his arms and he could feel her hands running along his shoulder blades. He slowly lowered her body to lay on the couch and pulled his lips from hers.

"Stay here tonight? I don't want you to be alone..."

When she nodded her head, he leaned off of her and stood up from the couch. He extended his hand out to her and he took it. Together, they walked into his bedroom.

* * *

**AN: There we have it folks! FINALLY, some Olitz time! I know you guys have all been waiting patiently for this to happen and I'm so sorry it took so long. I enjoyed writing this chapter very much because we're finally getting some background. Now you all can know what October 1st means to Olivia. And yes, Cyrus and James are actually Olivia's fathers. I know someone asked in one of the earlier chapters if it was sarcasm. It was in that particular context, but it's not sarcasm completely. I hope you're all sticking with me still!**


	14. The Reminder

Olivia rolls over and slowly opens her eyes, finding herself in a bed that doesn't belong to her. She quickly glances around her surroundings, trying to figure out where she was and then she remembers she had slept over Fitz's house the night before.

_"Fitz? SHIT!"_, she pulls the covers away and looks down at herself dressed in one of his shirts and a pair of his boxers._ "Oh my gosh! Did I? Did we?"_, she panics in her mind, wondering if she had slept with him last night and if she did, how in the hell could she not remember. She does a quick check and releases a sigh of relief when she finds that her bra and underwear are still intact, a clear sign that they were not removed the night before. Seconds later, she hears the bedroom door open and Fitz walks in, carrying a breakfast tray.

"Morning sleepy head", he says in his deep voice that always sends shivers down her spine and he grins, flashing his pearly whites as he displays that beautiful panty dropping smile. "How long have you been up?", he walks over towards the bed.

"Ummm... a few minutes... I guess", she barely manages to get out as she studies his beautifully toned body walking over to her in a pair of basketball shorts and no shirt. _"Damn, this man is perfection"._

"Hungry? I made breakfast...", he asks as she pulls away the covers, placing the tray in front of her. He studies her fresh, make-up free face and her C, maybe D cup breasts sitting high, her cleavage peaking through his v-neck shirt. _"Damn, this woman is perfection"._

"What's all this?", she asks as he joins her on the bed.

"Spinach and feta cheese omelet, bacon, sausage links, french toast, and fresh organic strawberries with Nutella dip. I wasn't sure if you preferred coffee or tea, so I brought both."

Her eyes widened at the display of food in front of her. The simple meal sounded nowhere as great as it looked. The omelet was fresh, the corners crispy and the cheese slowly melting out. The bacon was perfect, not too crispy and not too soft. Apparently, he had made sure to remove all of the excess grease. The sausage links were plump, glistening with their juices. The french toast smelled delicious, drizzled with syrup, cinnamon, and powdered sugar. The strawberries were huge and dark and he paired it with her favorite dip; she couldn't wait to dig in.

"Coffee sounds good. This all looks so great Fitz. But, what are you going to eat?", she jokes with him and they both laughed. Clearly, the large plate was filled with enough food to share for the both of them.

"Very funny Ms. Pope. Now, scoot on over so I can get my hands on some of that bacon!"

* * *

The both of them enjoy their breakfast, discussing their plans for Thanksgiving and the upcoming holiday season. After majority of the plate is empty, Fitz removes the tray from the bed, placing it on the floor after he grabs the strawberries and Nutella.

"Strawberry?", he asks, holding the bowl in her direction. She quickly snatches the bowl from his hand, picking out one of the juiciest strawberries she's ever seen.

"Mmm", she moans while the juices of the fruit fill her mouth after the first bite. "I seriously think you should get a bowl of your own because I don't plan on sharing these at all!", she licks her lips, finishing off the strawberry. He pouts playfully and she giggles, dipping another strawberry in the chocolate hazelnut spread. "Open up, Grant!" He obliges, opening his mouth and taking a bite of the fruit while Olivia feeds it to him.

"Tastes great. Can I get some more chocolate?"

"You want me to double dip? That's like kissing!"

"We kissed last night, Liv..", he says as a joke but momentarily regrets it when he sees her facial expression change. She begins blushing and then laughs.

"Fine!", she dips the strawberry again, making sure to completely cover it in the Nutella. She leans over to feed him again and he pulls the rest of the fruit into his mouth, along with two of her chocolate covered fingers. He holds her hand in place, licking and sucking the chocolatey residue left on her on her fingers. They lock eyes and she can feel heat spreading from the fingertips in his mouth, all the way to her core.

He removes her hands from his lips, leaning in to give her a kiss. Her eyes flutter close and a soft whimper escapes her mouth as he sucks her plump bottom lip into his mouth, gently nibbling on it.

"Fitz...", she whispers

"Hmm?", he asks, not daring to let go of her lip.

"I have to...", she tries to say while he's still latched on to her lip.

"Have to what?"

"We can't...", she struggles to speak while his fingertips creep under her shirt, brushing against her hips.

"Why not?", he whispers, his fingers sliding in the waistband of the boxers she's wearing.

"Fitz..."

"Livvie...", he lets go of her lip, pulling away and resting his forehead against hers. "Do you want me to stop? Just say the word and I will. I'd never want to make you do something you don't want to do...". She looks at him and he can see a look of surprise in her eyes.

"What did you just call me?"

"Livvie?", he repeats.

Her childhood nickname that her father had given her. She had been called that many times afterwards, but it never held the same value as when Rowan used to say it to her. Until now. The word coming from Fitz's mouth comforted her and soothed her. The wall that she had up suddenly came down.

"Liv, do you want me to stop?"

She shakes her head telling him no and he begins placing kisses along her forehead, the bridge of her nose and her chin before softly pecking her lips. Her arms move to wrap around his neck, her hands getting lost in his curls. Their lips meet hungrily. He runs his tongue along her bottom lip and she opens her mouth, curling her tongue around his. He leans back against the headboard, pulling her to straddle his lap, while she sucks his tongue into her mouth. One of his hands move to cradle the back of her head, deepening their kiss, while the other runs along her lower back, palming one of her ass cheeks.

"Mmm", she moans softly while his hands roam over her body and his lips attach themselves to her neck, sucking lightly. She grinds herself slowly on his lap, feeling him harden beneath her.

"Liv...", he groans, feeling her core gyrating on him. With one swift move, he tugs the sides of her boxers, pulling them down her thighs and exposing her baby blue and white polka dotted panties.

His fingers trail her panty-clad core, feeling the wetness already forming. Her head flies back from the sensation, allowing him more access to attack her neck while she grips his shoulder, trying to keep her balance. He sucks on her collarbone, surely to leave a mark, as his fingers try to pull down her underwear.

A phone rings. Olivia pulls away.

"Liv, don't answer it..", he pleads, his fingers mere centimeters away from their destination.

"It's not a phone call, it's a reminder..", she sounds a bit angry as she moves off of his lap to the floor, pulling up the boxers around her waist. "My flight leaves in a few hours and I still haven't finished packing..."

He sighs, sinking himself into the mattress as he watches her finding the clothes she wore the night before, hurriedly redressing. He can feel her slipping away; regretting it, regretting them. She doesn't even look at him as she folds his shirt and and boxers, placing them on the end of the bed.

"Liv...", he calls out as she walks out of the room, slipping her feet into a pair of Ugg boots. "Liv...", he moves out of the bed, rushing out to where he finds her in his living room, pulling her towards him. He can hear her breathing heavy and feel her heart beating through her chest.

"Livvie, look at me... please..."

She slowly lifts her head, looking into his deep blue eyes. They're full of emotion, mostly sadness, and it calms her. She assumed that her reminder going off at the exact moment he was about to strip her of her underwear was a sure sign that they shouldn't have gotten this far. But looking into his eyes changes that instantly. She takes a deep breath as his fingers move  
to cradle her chin.

"Don't run Olivia. Please, don't run. Promise me we'll talk about this? About us? Please?", he begs and it almost breaks her heart. She nods and he places a soft kiss on her forehead, pulling her into his warm embrace.

"Call me when you land?", he lets her go, opening the front door for her and watching her walk away. She turns and waves goodbye, a small smile on her face.


End file.
